Pork Asado is prepared by braising pork shoulder in a sweet and savory sauce until fork-tender. It is a dish inspired by Chinese cuisine with a distinct licorice-like flavor from star anise.
You may also like Filipino Pork Adobo, another classic Filipino dish.
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Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Pork Shoulder: It is an inexpensive cut that is perfect for feeding a crowd. The meat and collagen-rich connective tissue becomes tender and gelatinous after low and slow cooking. Pork butt, often sold without the skin, is a good substitute with sufficient marbling. Pork belly is full of flavor and texture, though very fatty.
- Star Anise: It is a dark-brown star-shaped spice with an intense licorice flavor. To substitute, you can use Chinese five spice powder which has star anise in it, or anise seed which has the same flavor as star anise.
- Shaoxing Wine: It is an amber-colored Chinese rice wine that enhances the flavors of the dish. Substitute with another Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry, or Japanese rice wine (sake).
- Sesame Oil: It adds a strong nutty flavor and aroma made from toasted sesame seeds.
How to make this recipe
(1)Cut 4 pounds of pork shoulder in half; season with salt and pepper on all sides.
(2)Soak 10 dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water until tender, then remove tough stems if desired. Cut them in half if they are big.
(3)Slice ½ head of napa cabbage in quarters lengthwise, then cut them crosswise into small pieces.
(4)Over high heat, add a bit of oil and sear the meat on all sides. If using an electric pressure cooker, use the sauté function. Transfer to a plate.
(5)Reduce the heat, then sauté 6 garlic cloves and the mushrooms for about a minute.
(6)Add ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup Shaoxing wine, ½ cup sugar, and 3 cups water. If using an electric pressure cooker, add only 1 cup of water.
Place 4 to 6 star anise and 2 bay leaves in a spice sachet (if available), then add them in. Scrape the browned bits on the bottom and stir to combine.
(7)Add meat and let it come to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 2 hours, until fork-tender; cook on high pressure for about an hour in an electric pressure cooker.
(8)Transfer meat to a plate and remove the spice sachet (or pick out star anise and bay leaves before serving). Skim the fat layer on the surface.
(9)Make a slurry by dissolving 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in ¼ cup of water. Add it to thicken the sauce.
(10)Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, cabbage stalks or white sections, and the meat the other side up. Cook the cabbage for 2 minutes and spoon the sauce over the meat. Add some fresh ground pepper.
(11)Slice the meat and serve with napa cabbage leaves.
(12)Pour the sauce over them.
Frequently asked questions
While asado means "grilled" in Spanish, it is a braised meat dish in Filipino cuisine. One of the two versions is sweet and savory Chinese-style with soy sauce, brown sugar, and star anise or five spice powder. The other version is from the Pampanga province—tangy and savory, braised in soy sauce, calamansi, and tomato sauce.
Braising is a cooking method that starts with searing meat or vegetables in oil and then slowly cooking them over low heat, either on the stovetop or in the oven. Unlike stewing where smaller pieces of meat are completely submerged in the liquid, braising involves a larger cut of meat simmering in a partial amount of liquid until fork-tender.
Pork Asado and Pata Tim are Chinese-inspired braised meat dishes with the same sweet and savory flavors from soy sauce, brown sugar, and star anise or five spice powder. A boneless cut of meat is used for Pork Asado, while Pata Tim is prepared with pork leg (hock and trotter/feet).
Asado doesn't usually include vegetables; Pata Tim uses shiitake mushrooms and Chinese cabbage like bokchoy or napa cabbage. The Kapampangan-style Asado is quite different from Chinese-style Asado and Pata Tim.
No. Anise and star anise come from two different plants. Anise, also called anise seed or aniseed, has a similar flavor profile to star anise as both contain anethole oil which is also present in licorice and fennel.
Other pork recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Pork Asado with Mushrooms and Cabbage
Equipment
- Electric pressure cooker or Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder, preferably boneless sub:pork butt or belly
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 garlic cloves smashed
- 10 dried shiitake mushrooms sub:fresh
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup Shaoxing wine or any Chinese cooking wine sub:dry sherry or sake
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4-6 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup of water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ head Napa cabbage (cut lengthwise) sub:bok choy
Instructions
- Cut pork shoulder in half; season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Soak shiitake mushrooms in hot water until tender, then remove tough stems if desired. Cut them in half if they are big.
- Slice cabbage in quarters lengthwise, then cut them crosswise into small pieces.
- Over high heat, add a bit of oil and sear meat on all sides. If using an electric pressure cooker, use the sauté function. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat, then sauté garlic and mushrooms for about a minute.
- Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and 3 cups of water. If using an electric pressure cooker, add only 1 cup of water.Place star anise and bay leaves in a spice sachet (if available) and add them in. Scrape the browned bits on the bottom and stir to combine.
- Add meat and let it come to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 2 hours, until fork-tender; cook on high pressure for about an hour in an electric pressure cooker.
- Transfer meat to a plate and remove the spice sachet (or pick out star anise and bay leaves before serving). Skim the fat layer on the surface.
- Make a slurry by dissolving cornstarch in ¼ cup of water. Add it to thicken the sauce.
- Add sesame oil, cabbage stalks or white sections, and meat the other side up. Cook the cabbage for 2 minutes and spoon the sauce over the meat. Add some fresh ground pepper.
- Slice the meat and pour the sauce over them. Serve with napa cabbage leaves.
Jomelyn @ Curious Flavors
Yum! I got everything I need to make this pork asado. I am making this with pork shoulder instead. Thanks for the recipe.
Jomelyn
I meant pork belly 😊
Nora Rey
Yum!!! I honestly like it better with pork belly for its flavor and texture. =)
Marina
This is mouth-watering! I love it. Thank you! I will be making this tonight.
Nora Rey
I hope you like it! Enjoy!!!