Licorice-sweetened Pork Shanks

Pork

Licorice-sweetened Pork Shanks
Ingredients:
2 pork shanks, each cut into four pieces
2 scallions, each tied in a knot
2 slices fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 whole star anise
2 slices licorice root
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup flour or water chestnut flour
1 egg
2 lettuce leaves
Preparation:
1. Rinse pork shanks, then put into a large pot of boiling water. Remove and drain after two minutes.
2. Bring eight cups of water to the boil, add pork shanks, scallions, and ginger slices, reduce heat and simmer for half an hour. Drain well.
3. Put shanks in a bowl, cover with soy sauce, mix well, and let sit for ten minutes. Then drain.
4. Heat oil, then deep fry half the pork shanks until golden, remove and fry the remaining half. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the oil for later use. 5. Put shanks and half cup of water in a steam-proof bowl. Add the rice wine, star anise, licorice root, and the sugar. Steam this mixture for one hour or until the shanks are soft, then drain them and discard the solids. Remove the bones, and tear the meat from each shank into several large pieces. Keep the liquid.
6. Mix the flour and the egg, beat well, then coat half the shank pieces and fry them in the reserved oil until golden. Draining on paper towels.. Batter the second half and fry them, as well. Put all pork shank meat on a serving plate lined with the lettuce leaves, reheat the reserved sauce and pour over the meat, and serve.

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