Slow-Braised Pork Shoulder with Five-Spice and Star Anise

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Tender pork shoulder slow-braised in a fragrant broth of Chinese five-spice and star anise, yielding melt-in-your-mouth meat with deep umami flavors. This Chinese-inspired pork recipe, ready in about 195 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, Chinese five-spice powder, star anise for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 180 min Serves 6 Chinese cuisine 420 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Rub 2 lbs pork shoulder evenly with 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder and sear on all sides until deeply browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  2. Step 2: Remove the pork and add 2-inch sliced ginger and 4 smashed garlic cloves to the pot. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Step 3: Return the pork to the pot and add 3 whole star anise, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp brown sugar, and 3 cups water until the pork is mostly submerged.
  4. Step 4: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 3 hours until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
  5. Step 5: Remove the pork, slice or shred, and spoon some braising liquid over it. Garnish with 2 chopped scallions before serving.

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