Shredded Chinese Pork

I took the idea for this recipe from a cookery magazine but adapted the marinade based on what I fancied and what I had in the house.  I made this one particularly lazy Sunday where I was just dotting about the house while the pork languished in the oven with no effort required from me other than some simple chopping just prior to serving.  Cooking it for so long in such a low oven makes for the most succulent of meat and the marinade provides just the right note of sweetness.  Serve this with wraps, sliced cucumber and spring onions with some of the reduced marinade on the side to pour over or dip into.  Although based on what I had in the house, when I most recently made this I did some homemade crusty rolls and a selection of condiments - mustard, barbecue sauce, apple and chilli jam.  I then used the pork marinade with the leftover pork to mix with some noodles and vegetables the following night for a quick pork chow mein - perfect!





Turn the oven back up to 220 Degrees and cook the pork uncovered for another 15 minutes.

As you will see, I have not specified quantities as this depends on how many you are catering for and your own taste in terms of how sweet you want the marinade, how saucy you want it and how big the piece of pork is.  My advice is to make your marinade and have a wee taste to check you are happy with it before pouring over your meat but don't be too prescriptive about it as you can rest assured that it is pretty hard to get this pork wrong!

Pork Shoulder

Maple Syrup

Sesame Oil

Mustard Powder

Soy Sauce

Fish Sauce

Seasoning

Your favourite beer or cider

Mix together the marinade ingredients, pour over the pork and place in the fridge for a couple of days, turning over in the marinade occasionally.

Pre-heat the oven to 220 Degrees and cook the pork uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, turn the temperature down to about 110 degrees.

Pour the beer or cider over the pork.

Cover with tin foil and put back in the oven for up to 8 hours, turning occasionally to ensure the pork is fully glazed in the marinade.

Remove the tin foil and pour the sauce into a sauce pan.

Leave the pork to stand, covered in tin foil for 20 minutes or so.

While it is resting, turn the sauce up high and let it reduce and thicken.

Pull the pork apart with two forks and serve alongside the sauce, cucumber and spring onion match sticks, some wraps and no cutlery!