Braised Ground Pork & Potatoes (Chinese “Meat and Potatoes”)

Step 1

Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms, then soak them in hot water for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Squeeze out the liquid and reserve it for later (you’ll use the liquid later in the recipe). Trim away any tough stems, and dice the mushrooms into ½-inch pieces.

Step 2

Use store-bought ground meat, or use our hand-chopped meat technique, which will yield the best texture. Add the meat to a medium bowl along with the marinade ingredients: water, Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and white pepper. Mix well until the meat has absorbed the marinade, and set aside for 15-20 minutes.

Step 3

After peeling and dicing the potatoes, soak them in a bowl of cold water if you’re not cooking them right away. This prevents oxidation (i.e. the potatoes turning brown).

Step 4

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the minced ginger and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.

Step 5

Add the pork, and increase the heat to high. Break up any large chunks with your spatula, cooking until the meat is opaque and lightly browned. Stir in the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the wok or pan.

Step 6

Next, add the potato cubes (drained), oyster sauce, bean sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper, five spice powder, and water, using the mushroom soaking water (be careful to avoid any sediment from the mushrooms) and adding additional fresh water so you have 1½ cups total.

Step 7

Stir well, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes—until the potato is just about cooked through.

Step 8

Stir in the garlic, onion, and your choice of vegetables. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables are tender (note that denser vegetables like carrots and broccoli stems may take an additional 1-3 minutes to cook). Add more water—up to an additional ½ cup—if needed to prevent the sauce from drying out.

Step 9

Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Step 10

Salt to taste. Stir in the chopped scallions. Serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!