Zao Men Qiang (Drunken Pork Tongue)
A classic Shanghai cold dish where pork tongue is marinated in fermented rice wine sauce, resulting in a tender, crisp texture with rich wine aroma, perfect as an appetizer with drinks.
Ingredients
8 items- Pork tongue 2 (about 500g)
- Fermented rice wine marinade (zhao lu) 500 ml
- Ginger 1 piece
- Spring onion 2 stalks
- Shaoxing wine 2 tablespoons
- Star anise 2 pieces
- Cinnamon stick 1 small piece
- Salt to taste
Nutrition
Steps （6 steps）
Rinse pork tongues, place in cold water with ginger, spring onion, and Shaoxing wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for 5 minutes, skimming foam. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Scrape off the white coating from the tongues with a knife, clean thoroughly, and rinse again.
Put tongues in a pot with fresh water, ginger, spring onion, star anise, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 40 minutes, until a chopstick pierces the thickest part easily.
Transfer tongues to ice water to cool quickly, drain, and slice thinly (about 3 mm). Place in a container.
Pour fermented rice wine marinade over slices until fully submerged. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to marinate.
Arrange on a plate, drizzle with some marinade, garnish with ginger shreds or chopped spring onions. Serve cold.
Tips
Thoroughly scrape off white coating to remove odor; ice-water bath after cooking ensures crisp texture; longer marinating enhances flavor, at least 4 hours or overnight.
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