1 lb fresh pork leg (ham)
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
2 each green onions
1 dash pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce
Directions
Cut the fresh ham into several chunks about 1 1/2 to 2 inches square.
Chop the green onion fine. Heat the oil in 2 quart pot, then add the
onion and the remaining ingredients, including the pork. Saute,
stirring, on medium heat until the meat is brown (about 5 minutes or
more). Add 4 cups water and simmer, uncovered, on medium heat for one
hour. Add the fish sauce and continue to simmer on medium heat 1 more
hour. Most of the water will be absorbed by the meat and the
remainder will be slightly thick--or carmelized. Be careful not to
burn it. Serve hot as a main dish, with lots of rice. This has a
very long life--it may be frozen, refrigerated, reheated, and served
as an appetizer, etc. Note: This takes a long time to cook, but is
very easy to do. In Hue, central Vietnam, pork belly is used in this
recipe. Bellyis very fat and is considered good in a cooler climate.
Don't discard the fat portions before tasting--it is surprisingly
good and surprisingly digestible. Recipe from: Vietnamese Cookery, by
Jill Nhu Huong Miller.
Servings: 4 servings
Carmelized Pork Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Meat; Pork
The History of Recipes
It is actually possible to trace the history of recipes far back into antiquity, at least as far into history as the ancient Egyptians, and potentially, even further back. Interesting though that is, in the main part, these early cookbooks were just simple hieroglyphic instructions for meal preparation.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to experts in ancient history is a collection of ancient tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. As we move into Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote some scripts detailing recipes cooked by the Romans. In his scrolls, he recounts how the meals were divided into appetizers, entrees and afters, something we still use today. Additionally, he tells us how the Romans made use of many spices and herbs, including a few you will know such as basil, rue and parsley. As we move on, we find two recipe books which date from the fourteenth century : a book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another named `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are somewhat misleading tho`, these two books have no connection with the spicy food that is familiar to us all today, but instead recipes for the types of food on the menus of the wealthy. Later, in the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought back many spices and herbs from Arab cuisine, including spices like basil and rosemary. These new foods and tastes led to an outbreak in cookery books, most of which are now in private collections. During the next few centuries, the powerful and wealthy houses competed to offer the most exotic banquets, and because of this the best chefs and their collection of recipes increased in prestige. However, it was during the 1800s the formal cooking and recipe books became popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, dedicated the best years of their lives to collecting, testing, and writing down recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. By the advent of the 20th century, cook books are in great demand, mostly due to higher levels of literacy, people having increased leisure time and a general increase in wealth. The introduction of television gave us celebrity TV chefs and the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everyone to access thousands of recipes like the ones you can find on sites such as the one you are reading now. |
We hope you enjoy this Carmelized Pork recipe.
