Pork Stew

The Vietnamese Cookbook, p. 52

1 lb pork chop meat

3 shallots

1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons water

Salt

Pepper

Remove the meat from the bones and slice across the grain into strips about 1” wide and 2” long. Slice the shallots in thin rounds and place together with the meat into a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. 

Feeling dainty with shallots.

Add water and seasonings and bring to the boil over a high heat. 

This stuff is neato.

Cook for a few minutes then stir well. Reduce and boil for about half an hour, stirring so that the meat does not burn. By the end of the cooking time most of the liquid should have been absorbed by the meat and what is left will begin to caramelize. 

This is not a fun cooking process. See below.

Serve with plain rice and a green salad.

Or... with some leftover Spiced Sweet Potatoes!

My Rating: 2/5 "I was really turned off by the smell this made while it was cooking. I think it's something about the combination of the fish sauce and the shallots that's just super funky. The taste was fine (although not especially interesting). But I just couldn't get past that smell!"