Thit Dong (Jellied Pork Trotter with Wood Ear Mushroom) Recipe
Vietnamese dishesStewsNorthern Vietnamabout 1 hour of cooking, plus 1 to 2 hours to set
Thit dong chan gio moc nhi is good when the jelly is clear, the trotter meat soft and the pig ear crunchy. The problem is a cloudy set, which leaves the whole dish looking dull.
Constant skimming while the pot simmers is what keeps the jelly clear. A few carrot rounds cut into flower shapes, laid in the bottom of the bowl before the mixture goes in, give a neat face once the set jelly is turned out.
This batch weighs about 2.6kg, at roughly 79 calories per 100g.
Method
Peel the shallots and ginger, rinse them and cut them into thick slices. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel the carrot and dice it, setting aside a few rounds cut into flower shapes and blanching them for 2 minutes. Strip the corn kernels and rinse them.
Rub the trotter and pig ear with salt, then rinse well. Bring a pot of water to a boil with the shallots and ginger, add the pig ear and trotter and blanch for 5 minutes, then lift them into iced water. Rinse, cut the trotter meat into cubes and the pig ear into thick strips.
Soak the wood ear and shiitake mushrooms, 30 minutes in hot water or 45 to 60 minutes in cold. Trim the stems and rinse. Cut the wood ear into thick strips and score a cross on each shiitake cap.
Put both meats in a large bowl and season with 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1/3 teaspoon salt, 1/3 teaspoon ground pepper and 1/2 teaspoon white peppercorn. Mix well, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan, fry the garlic until fragrant, then add the seasoned meat and stir until firm and aromatic.
Bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil, lower the heat, add the seared meat and cook for 20 minutes. Add the shiitake, wood ear, corn and carrot and cook for another 10 minutes, then season with 30ml fish sauce, stir and turn off the heat to cool. Skim often so the liquid stays clear.
Lay the carrot flowers in the bottom of the bowls and ladle the mixture over them. In cool weather 2 hours on the counter is enough; in warm weather about 1 hour in the refrigerator sets it.
Tips
Skim continuously while it cooks, which is what makes the set jelly clear.
Divide it into portions, wrap them well and keep them in the fridge.
Do not freeze it, as freezing costs the texture.
Spoon off all the fat on the surface while it is still hot, since fat left behind clouds the jelly and turns it heavy.
Lay carrot flowers on the base of the mold, and they show on top once it is turned out onto a plate.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.