Categories: Meats, Usenet 
      Yield: 10 servings 
  
           Pork shoulder (5 to 7 lb), 
           -with bone and rind 
           Water 
    3/4 c  Sherry (dry) 
           -or Shaoxing wine 
    1/3 c  Dark soy sauce 
           Chinese yellow rock sugar, 
           -6 crystals (each crystal 
           -about 1 inch square) 
  1 1/2 t  Salt (or to taste) 
      6    Star anise cloves 
      1    Cinnamon stick 
           -(about 2 inches long) 
      4 sm Chili peppers, 
           -dried (optional) 
           Tangerine peel, dried, 
           -3 pieces (optional) 
      6    Garlic cloves (crushed) 
      4 sl Ginger (thick) 
      1    Scallion (whole), trimmed 
      2    Spinach bunches, washed 
  
  Put the pork in a large pot with water to cover.  Bring to a boil, simmer 
  for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse. Again add the pork to the pot with 
  fresh water to cover, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to 
  medium, partially cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the rest of the 
  ingredients (except the spinach), and simmer the pork for another 2 1/2 to 
  3 hours. The rind and the fat should be very soft when it's done. 
   
  Remove the pork from the liquid and keep it warm.  Strain the sauce into a 
  large skillet and reduce it over high heat.  This may take a while, 
  depending on how much liquid you end up with. 
   
  Meanwhile, steam the spinach until just wilted, salt it lightly, and keep 
  it warm. When the sauce is reduced (it should be the consistency of a thin 
  syrup), put the pork shoulder in the center of a large platter, arrange the 
  spinach around it, and pour the sauce over. 
   
  NOTES: 
   
  *  A Chinese Method of Cooking a Pork Roast -- I got this recipe originally 
  from the _San Francisco Chronicle_.  It uses some ingredients that might be 
  hard to get in some parts of the country, but suggests alternatives. Yield: 
  Serves 10-15. 
   
  *  Can substitute about 1/3 C granulated sugar for the rock crystals. 
   
  : Difficulty:  moderate. 
  : Time:  30 minutes preparation, 3-4 hours cooking. 
  : Precision:  approximate measurement OK. 
   
  : Jeff Lichtman 
  : Relational Technology, Inc., Alameda, California 
  : {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff 
  : {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff 
  : 
  : Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent.. 
   
  : Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust