Pork Skin Jelly

Pork Skin Jelly

Pork Skin Jelly is a home-style meat dish at difficulty 3/5 (Intermediate), about 1630 kcal. Pork skin jelly is a common traditional cold dish in Northern Chinese New Year's. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.

Difficulty

3 / 5

★★★☆☆

Intermediate
Estimated Calories

1630 kcal

Ingredients

  • Pork skin
  • Star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, Angustifolia root (White Catalpa), Cinnamon, Cloves, Bay leaf, Fennel

Steps

  1. Cut the pork skin into pieces not exceeding 10cm. Soak in clear water for 12 hours, then bring to a boil in cold water. Add 10g ginger, 50ml cooking wine, and blanch for 5-10 minutes. Remove and immediately place in cold water.
  2. On a cutting board, remove all the white fat (underneath skin) from the blanched pork skin. Then cut it into strips not exceeding 3mm long. Place in a basin/ bowl.
  3. Add 20g white vinegar and 5g salt, rub vigorously for 3 minutes, then rinse with clean water. The pork skin should now have virtually no fishy smell.
  4. Add 4kg water to the pot, add the pork skin, 10g green onion, 10g ginger slices, 10g star anise, and 5g Sichuan peppercorn. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 90 minutes until the pork skin is soft and tender.
  5. Season with 8g salt, 10g monosodium glutamate, 15g chicken essence/chicken bouillon, 50ml light soy sauce, and 20ml dark soy sauce. Pour into a plate/ dish; remove the ginger, green onion, and star anise. Let cool until it becomes jelly-like.
  6. Refrigerate until set. Serve by cutting into small cubes or thick slices.

Notes

Pork skin jelly is a common traditional cold dish in Northern Chinese New Year's Eve dinners. It is crystal clear, smooth, and chewy (Q-texture), making it especially suitable to go with wine. Pork skin is rich in collagen and has beauty-enhancing properties. This dish has a slightly high difficulty level and requires patience in removing the fishy smell of the skin and long simmering, with an estimated preparation time of about 24 hours.

Estimated Difficulty: ★★★
Estimated Calories: 1630 kcal
Group: Pork Skin Jelly

Calculated (Per Serving):

* Main Ingredient: Pork skin 1kg, Water 4kg
* Seasoning: Salt 13g, MSG 10g, Chicken essence 15g, Light soy sauce 50ml, Dark soy sauce 20ml, Scallion 10g, Ginger 20g
* Spice Bundle: Star anise 10g, Sichuan peppercorn 5g

- Note: When making pork skin jelly, boiling it directly (without the preceding soaking and vinegar/rubbing process) will result in a 'waste' product and is strictly prohibited. You must use white vinegar and salt to continuously rub and wash the pork skin; this guarantees the final jelly looks crystal clear and has no fishy smell.
- Reference: [Mingge Speaks of Food](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1hh41117TL?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0)

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