How to Make Pork with Bamboo Shoots | Vietnamese recipes

Hi everyone. Welcome to the Vietnamese Recipes channel. As the name suggests, I'll be sharing how to make traditional Vietnamese dishes here. If you want to learn more about Vietnamese cuisine, don't forget to subscribe. All right. In this video, I'm going to show you how to make a delicious braised pork dish. Braised pork with bamboo shoots. This dish is popular in the central and southern regions of Vietnam. It has a simple rustic flavor and you won't feel overwhelmed by it because the rich fatty pork belly is balanced with the crunchy bamboo shoots and a light tangy taste. Let's get started. The ingredients to serve five people include one kilogram of pork, 900 grams of fresh bamboo shoots, three shallots, six garlic cloves, green onions, one to two chili peppers, depending on your spice preference, along with seasonings like fish sauce, soy sauce, MSG and ground pepper. One special ingredient to give the braised pork its reddish brown color is caramel sauce. This sauce is made from white sugar melted and combined with a bit of water to create a thick amber colored syrup with a light sweetness. It's often used in braised dishes, especially in traditional Vietnamese braised fish. To make pork with bamboo shoots, you can choose pork cuts like pork belly, shoulder. These cuts have both lean and fatty parts, which makes the meat tender and juicy when braised without becoming dry. First, rub the pork with coarse salt, massage it well, then rinse and let it drain. For braising, cut the pork into pieces about 2.5 centimeters thick. This way, even after long cooking, the meat will be tender without falling apart. After cutting, put the pork into a bowl and marinate with one teaspoon of coarse salt, one teaspoon of MSG, two tablespoons of fish sauce, one tablespoon of soy sauce, three tablespoons of caramel sauce, caramel syrup, one teaspoon of ground pepper, one tablespoon of cooking oil to help keep the meat moist. Mix everything well and let the meat marinate for about 30 minutes. While the pork is marinating, we'll prepare the bamboo shoots. In Vietnam, we have both fresh bamboo shoots like these and dried bamboo shoots. There are many types of fresh bamboo shoots. These are mung cu, bamboo roots, but there's also mung la, mung truc, and mung bao. For the co-mung, I usually use mung cu because they stay crunchy and don't get too soft during long cooking, unlike mung la. Cut the bamboo shoots into pieces similar in size to the pork. Then rinse the bamboo and bring it to a boil. Put the bamboo shoots in a pot with a pinch of coarse salt. Boil the bamboo over medium-high heat, leaving the lid off so that any toxins can evaporate. After 5 minutes of boiling, take the bamboo out, rinse, and discard the boiling water. Refill the pot with fresh water and boil the bamboo a second time. Generally, you should boil bamboo 2-3 times until the water is clear. It's important to boil the bamboo thoroughly because fresh bamboo contains cyanide. When cyanide enters the body, it reacts with digestive enzymes to form hydrocyanic acid HCN, which is toxic. However, this substance evaporates at high temperatures, so boiling the bamboo thoroughly removes it. After boiling, rinse the bamboo again and let it drain. Next, we'll prepare the remaining ingredients. Thinly slice the shallots, mince the garlic, wash the green onions, and cut them into 2-3cm lengths. Slice the chili peppers diagonally. Once everything is prepared, we can start cooking. Add 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pot. Once the oil is hot, saute the shallots and garlic until fragrant, then add the pork. When stirring the pork, turn up the heat slightly to sear the meat and give it a nice golden crust. This will help the pork stay firm and flavorful even after long braising. Once the pork is cooked and browned, add the bamboo shoots to the pot. Stir the pork and bamboo shoots for about a minute, then add water to the pot. The amount of water depends on how much braising liquid you want. You can also use fresh coconut water instead of plain water for a naturally sweet and rich flavor. Once the water boils, season to taste. I like to add more soy sauce and fish sauce. Then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the pork is tender. After 30 minutes, the pork should be tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then add the green onions and chili peppers before turning off the heat. If you prefer a thicker caramelized sauce with a deeper color, you can increase the heat and simmer for another 7-8 minutes. Be sure to shake the pot to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom. Once the meat has reached your desired color, add the green onions and chili peppers. Cook for a few more seconds, then turn off the heat. Transfer the pork and bamboo to a bowl or plate and serve hot with rice. The braised pork is tender and flavorful, while the bamboo shoots add a crunchy texture that makes the dish less heavy. It's a perfect meal to enjoy with rice. So that's it for my braised pork with bamboo shoots recipe. If you found this video helpful, give it a like to let me know. And if you're someone who loves cooking and especially Vietnamese food, don't forget to subscribe so we can meet again in future videos. Thanks for watching and see you next time.