Shredded Aromatic Pork

Chinese takeaway style shredded aromatic pork on a serving plate with Chinese pancakes, spring onion and cucumber.

This Chinese takeaway style shredded aromatic pork is slow cooked to tender perfection and fried until just slightly crisp, great served with Chinese pancakes and hoisin sauce.


If you like pork and you’re a fan of the classic combination of Chinese pancakes and aromatic duck, then you’ll love this shredded aromatic pork. The slow cooked pork is fall apart tender, and the combination of tender meat with a touch of crispness, soft Chinese pancakes, hoisin sauce and fresh vegetables is oh so tasty.

Ingredients For Shredded Aromatic Pork

This recipe uses pork shoulder steaks, seared with Chinese salt and pepper seasoning and then slow cooked until tender in a simple broth made with stock, hoisin sauce and whole star anise.

  • Pork: Pork shoulder steaks are relatively inexpensive and are perfect for slow cooking.
  • Salt & Pepper Seasoning: You can find pre-made mixes online or in Chinese supermarkets, or make your own.
  • Hoisin Sauce: As with aromatic duck, the combination of sweet hoisin sauce and fatty meat is delicious.
  • Other Ingredients: Chicken Stock, Star Anise, Chinese Pancakes, Spring Onions, Cucumbers

How To Make Shredded Aromatic Pork

This recipe uses pork shoulder steaks which are great to cook low and slow until deliciously tender. With the pork cooked, it can be finished immediately, or set aside in the fridge or freezer for future use. To finish, simply fry the shredded pork in a touch of oil until just slightly crisp before mixing with hoisin sauce and serving with fresh spring onion and cucumber and a stack of Chinese pancakes.

Step 1: Simmer

First, rub the pork shoulder steaks with Chinese salt and pepper seasoning. Heat the pork fat or vegetable oil in a large pan (one you have a lid for) and fry the pork shoulder steaks for 1 minute on each side. Once all of the pork is browned, add the chicken stock, hoisin sauce and whole star anise. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Remove the cooked pork from the liquid and shred with two forks. Discard all but a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

Step 2: Fry

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, then add a touch of pork fat or vegetable oil. Mix the shredded pork with a touch of the reserved cooking liquid and add it to the frying pan. Fry for 1 minute or until just slightly crispy on one side.

Step 3: Serve

Transfer the shredded pork to a serving bowl. Add hoisin sauce to taste and mix briefly. Serve with warm Chinese pancakes, fresh spring onion and cucumber and extra hoisin sauce on the side.

I hope you’ll try this shredded aromatic pork recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!

Shredded Aromatic Pork
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 10 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese Takeaway, British Chinese, American Chinese, Scottish Chinese
Keyword: pork, crispy chicken, shredded, aromatic, pancakes, hoisin
Servings: 4 portions
Ingredients
  • 4 pork shoulder steaks around 700g total weight
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese salt & pepper seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon pork fat or sunflower oil
  • 250 ml light chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 whole star anise
To Serve
  • 24 Chinese pancakes 6 per person
  • 4 spring onions thinly sliced
  • 2 small cucumbers deseeded and thinly sliced
  • Hoisin sauce
Instructions
  1. Rub the pork shoulder steaks with Chinese salt and pepper seasoning and set aside. Heat the pork fat or vegetable oil in a large pan (one you have a lid for) and fry the pork shoulder steaks for 1 minute on each side. Do this in batches if necessary. Once all of the pork is browned, add the chicken stock, hoisin sauce and whole star anise. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Remove the cooked pork from the liquid and shred with two forks. Discard all but a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

  2. Heat a touch of pork fat or oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Mix shredded pork with a touch of the reserved cooking liquid and add it to the frying pan. Fry for 1 minute or until just slightly crispy on one side.

  3. Transfer the shredded pork to a serving bowl. Add hoisin sauce to taste and mix briefly. Serve with warm Chinese pancakes, fresh spring onion and cucumber and extra hoisin sauce on the side.

Recipe Notes

Chinese salt and pepper seasoning is an aromatic blend of toasted salt, sugar, MSG, Chinese 5-spice and more.  You can find a recipe to make your own here.

Do you like this Chinese takeaway style shredded aromatic pork recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Chinese Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant and takeaway style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make spring rolls, black bean and green pepper sauce, salt and chilli chicken and more! You can buy The Chinese Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.

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