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Food & Receipts

The Ultimate Hanoi-Style Mock Duck Recipe: A Mouthwatering Guide to Creating an Authentic, Flavorful Dish with Ease

Administrator

22 January, 2025

Ingredients

– 800 grams of pork hocks

– 500 grams of pork shanks

– 1 fresh ginger root

– 1 fresh turmeric root

– Seasonings: Shrimp paste, whole salt, fermented rice, bamboo shoots (for traditional flavor), and MSG (optional)

– Herbs: Vietnamese coriander, scallions

Serve with: tangled bun noodles and fried tofu.

Instructions

To prepare this dish with appealing colors and a distinctive smoky flavor, the meat needs to be carefully prepared in the old-fashioned way of Hanoi. First, use straw or sugarcane bagasse to smoke or grill the meat until it turns dark brown. Then, scrape off the soot and ashes, sprinkle some whole salt, and rinse thoroughly. Next, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Nowadays, many shops use gas torches or burn newspaper, which doesn’t give the same rich flavor as the traditional methods. So, make sure to order in advance from familiar places that will smoke the meat with straw or bagasse for a more authentic taste.

The key ingredients to create the unique flavor include choosing mature ginger (neither too young nor too old) to ensure both aroma and attractive color. Clean the ginger, cut it into slices, and pound it. Fresh turmeric also needs to be cleaned and pounded. Strain the fermented rice to make it smooth. Wash the Vietnamese coriander and scallions before use. The main ingredients for seasoning are whole salt and shrimp paste. In some regions, people also add bamboo shoots to bring back the unforgettable traditional flavor.

Marinate the pork hocks and shanks with a mixture of pounded ginger and turmeric, combined with 3 tablespoons of strained fermented rice, 2 tablespoons of shrimp paste, 1 tablespoon of whole salt, and 1 tablespoon of bamboo shoots. Mix all the ingredients well and marinate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors infuse the meat. In winter, if you have the time, marinate it for half a day to make the dish even more delicious. In summer, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to keep the ingredients fresh.

To prepare the dish to perfection, you need to follow a “two-fire” cooking process. In the first round of cooking, put the marinated pork hocks and shanks on the stove and stir-fry until the meat is sealed. Then, add water to just cover the meat. When the water starts to boil, skim off any foam if necessary, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes before turning off the heat.

Before serving, cook for a second time for about 8-10 minutes, depending on your preference for tender or chewy meat. Towards the end of cooking, uncover the pot to let the sauce reduce and thicken. Adjust the seasoning to your taste and add a little MSG if desired. Finally, throw in the scallions and Vietnamese coriander, turn off the heat, and serve hot.

Desired outcome: Each piece of mock wild boar has a shiny golden-brown color, attracting everyone’s attention. When tasting, you will experience a crispy skin on the outside, while the meat inside is tender, blended with a golden sauce with a distinctive aroma from shrimp paste and fermented rice, creating an irresistible appeal. This dish is perfect for snacking, paired with tangled bun noodles or white rice, especially on chilly winter days.