Pot Roast Pork With Taro Recipe

Marinate pork

Place the pork shoulder chunks in a large bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, grated ginger, minced garlic, five-spice powder, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours. If short on time, 30 minutes is acceptable.

Remove pork from refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to take off chill.

While pork marinates, combine chicken/pork stock, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar in a measuring cup or bowl. Add star anise and bay leaf and set aside.

Peel and cube taro, then rinse the pieces to remove excess starch. Cut carrots, onion, and prepare mushrooms and scallions. Keep vegetables ready to add during braising.

Tip: Taro can oxidize and darken; keep in water until ready to use if prepping ahead.

Heat a heavy-bottom Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl to coat.

Brown the pork

Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, remove pork from marinade (reserve marinade) and brown the chunks on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer browned pork to a plate.

If the pot is dry, add a little more oil. Pour in the reserved marinade and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze, loosening browned bits.

Combine and simmer

Return browned pork to the pot. Pour the prepared braising liquid over the pork so liquid comes about two-thirds up the meat; add additional stock or water if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so the liquid barely bubbles. Cover and braise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add taro cubes, carrots, onion wedges, and shiitake mushrooms to the pot, nestling them among the pork pieces. Re-cover and continue braising on low for another 45–60 minutes, until pork is fork-tender and taro is cooked through (taro should be tender and not chalky).

Check seasoning about 20 minutes before end: taste broth and add salt if needed (up to 3/4 tsp recommended total). Remove star anise and bay leaf before finishing.

Thicken the sauce

When pork and taro are tender, increase heat to medium-high and bring liquid to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry. Slowly stir slurry into simmering braising liquid until sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 1–2 minutes. Stir in sesame oil. If sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water or stock to loosen.

Return heat to low and gently coat the pork and taro in the glossy sauce for a minute. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Garnish with sliced scallions and serve hot.