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This popular dish is named in honor of Su Dongpo (1036-1101), a revered Song Dynasty poet whose works are still part of the Chinese primary and middle school curriculum..

During Su Dongpo’s second term as governor of Hangzhou, this beauty spot’s most famous scenic feature, the famous West Lake, became clogged with algae. He mobilized thousands workers to dredge the lake and used the mud to build a long embankment along it. He also ordered construction of a bridge to clear the waterway of obstructions. The embankment acted as a reservoir, and was of great benefit to local residents. It also enhanced the beauty of West Lake.

It was well known throughout Hangzhou that Su Dongpo was partial to pork, and hundreds of households sent parcels of it to him as a token of their appreciation. He received so much it seemed fair to share it with the army of workers that had done the clearing and building work. He asked his cook to cut the pork into cubes, cook it and send it with wine to each worker’s home. As the Chinese for “ send with wine” sounds very similar to that for “braise with wine”, his order was misconstrued, but it was a happy mistake as the resultant dish was deliciously succulent and piquant. Su Dongpo subsequently became as famous for this dish as for his poetry and calligraphy, and students later came to him to learn how to cook Dong style pork as well as his more literary skills.

Dongpo-Style Pork has ever since been a prominent aspect of Zhejiang cuisine. It is cooked in Shanghai and Hangzhou styles and served in restaurants all over China.

Ingredients:

1500 grams streaky pork

100 grams scallions

100 grams sugar

250 grams Shaoxing wine

50 grams ginger block, beaten loose with one side of a cleaver.

150 grams soy sauce

Rinse the streaky pork, remove the thin layer of cauls fat from the meat but leave rind and other sides intact. Cut pork into ten square or rectangular pieces. Blanch the pork by boiling in water for five minutes. Pour into a colander and rinse to remove scum.

Put a grid into one heatproof clay pot. Spread 50 grams scallions and ginger block over it and place the meat, rind side down on top. Add sugar, wine and soy sauce and the remaining 50 grams scallions. Cover pot, bring to the boil, turn down the flame and simmer for half an hour. Put the pork on a pottery jar, rind side up, put the jar in a steamer and steam over a high heat till tender. Serve.