ive noticed that when i cook dong po pork belly or shank by braising, the fat/skin is always tasty to eat but is slightly stolid, whereas in good restaurant iterations, it has a much more melting-in-mouth nature. ive also tried steaming after initial braising, without any change in result. is there a more optimal way to achieve better fat texture??
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You could try sous-vide and fine tune the temperature and time to get the right consistency - 165F/12 hours and 176F/8 hours could be good starting points
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Do you boil (gentle boil) your pork before braising?
Also are you braising at a very low temperature?
That might help break down the fat further during braising.
I watched a video that said you should leave it over night post braise and then steam. That is not something I have ever done but I’m sure that’s how restaurants do it since they can’t slow braise it instantly for customers.
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actually the lower-temperature braise might be the thing - i usually let it run middling simmer. when i do the steam post-braise it’s next day, and i do get the feeling its very slightly different than just reheating rhe braise, which may be related to lowering the temperature of the initial braise, as the temp when steaming is presumably lower as well…
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Are you stabbing the heck out of the skin with this gadget?
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will that help? is the science that the fat has more contact with heat?
I was very happy one time years ago when I did one low and slow (200°? 225°?) with a weight on top and then before serving crisped up the skin with a torch. Beforehand I poked a bunch of holes in the skin with an icepick so the fat could ooze out and presalted overnight with 3/4 teaspoon salt per pound.
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What grandpa used to tell me is that the hair in the pork skin has to be “burned off” first with dry searing, and then scraping the subsequent char off with a knife, abrasive sponge, or steel wool (yikes?!) before any boiling can take place. When there are less hair follicles, the skin should be softer and less gamey in taste also.
I think Chef/Uncle Wang Gang’s video demonstrates this.
The steel “Mortal Kombat fatality” needles increase surface area-to-volume ratio to allow juices to seep into the skin during cooking, further flavoring and softening it.
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I think I torched the bristles, then scraped / shaved with a knife, then torched again? Nobody complained of whatever stubble / ingrown bristles were left, probably because the skin was totally crunchy.
i ended up applying the piercing method, also torcyed the skin thoroughly and scraped witha brillo pad (which to my surprise actually made a difference in the sense that it had significantly more impact than rubbing and washing with hands), and braised very low temp for long time, plus a couple hours steam the next day.
texture was improved but i think i messed up the initial braise by being lazy and using too small a pot. my overall conclusion is that lower temp is probably most of the answer, but i will keep doing the rest of the skin treatment because at the very least it thoroughly gets rid of all hairs…
thanks all for suggestions and wisdoms!
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