Don’t those words make “you shiver with antici–Pation” (a hat tip there, for Tim Curry’s “Rocky Horror” tour-de-force)? Known as Pi dong, in Shanghai where it’s frequently used to ‘stuff’ soup dumplings. It’s a rich stock, sliceable when chilled but then as it heats up, it becomes ‘soupier’. Could this whole thing sound any better, eh?
This recipe comes via Betty Lui in “My Shanghai”
Ingredients
225 g pig skin, cut into 2.5×7.5-cm strips
225 g pig trotters, including skin, joints, and tendons
1.4 L chicken stock
2 scallions, chopped into 4-cm segments
2 bay leaves
2 slices fresh ginger
2 whole star anise
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons salt
The fresh pork rind needs to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any excess residue and hair, making sure that every bit of the fatty meat and oil is scraped off, which is essential in achieving that limpid, pool-like look seen in the ‘photo. Then boiled in water (until it’s soft enough to stick a chopstick through) followed by a second round of cleaning to remove the rest of the fat, finally there’s a salt rub to completely clean the rind, getting rid of any last meaty smell and taste.
The rind is then sliced thinly; the thinner the slice, the better the jelly. The rind strips are again then boiled and stewed in a chicken stock, along with the other ingredients, during which time it’s important to skim off any white scum that forms on top.
Step 1
Place the pig skin and bones in a large pot. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the skin curls up, about 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the trotters and skin.
Step 2
When cool enough to handle, cut the pig skin into ½-inch (12-mm) dice.
Step 3
In a clean pot, combine the trotters and diced pig skin with the chicken stock, scallions, bay leaves, ginger, star anise, and wine. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the white pepper and salt and adjust to taste.
Step 4
Strain the stock into a heat-proof container with a lid. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill and set overnight. The stock can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for a few days.