Rice Wine for Braised Pork Dish

[MGZ]

There is a recipe for Braised Pork in Soy Sauce I am interested in trying (I have added a link to it at the bottom of the page for reference). I am curious as to suggestions for what to use for the rice wine called for in it. How important do you think the rice wine is? Is an inexpensive saki a good way to go or should I seek out something else? Also, what might be some suggestions for substitutions? I do not think that sherry is really a good option as it's flavor structure is just too distinct.

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/22/1454683...

[MGZ]

I appreciate the discussion to which you have all contributed. Ultimately, it led me to spending quite a bit of time looking into information concerning rice wines in general. As usual, I realized that one must kiss quite a few frogs on the web before finding any princes of information. At least now I am better informed about the various types of Chinese rice wines.

I approached the dish maintaining the notion that it was created by peasants struggling through the Cultural Revolution. Consequently, I had no problem substituting a clear 16% saki for shaoxing, as the latter appears to be a "fancier" product and the former closer to what I understand mijiu to be. It does seem that a sort of "brewing" is utilized in much rice wine production.

The dish was fantastic and I intend to make it again. I did reduce the sugar to 3 tablespoons (which still seemed like a lot) and added a couple of dried red chiles to the braising liquid. Additionally, I increased the braising time to about an hour though the recipe states 30 minutes and the audio recording 45.

[magiesmom]

I recently made a braised pork shoulder dish with caramelized sugar, soy sauce , ginger. i used a very dry sherry which was fabulous in it; you couldn't taste it as sherry but it balanced the other flavors beautifully. People were discreetly licking their plates ;=)

[paulj]

The recipe reminds of me of 'red cooked' dishes, which usually don't have rice wine. But this recipe has more sugar (as much as soy sauce).

[Gio]

I've cooked through various Chinese and other Asian cookbooks with the COTM group and dry sherry is always listed as a substitute for Shaoshing rice wine. Frankly, I think sherry loses some it's distinctive flavor when used in conjunction with Asian ingredients...

[travelerjjm]

Most of the time, when "rice wine" is called for in Chinese recipes it is Shaoshing (Xao Xing) which is a "yellow wine". It tastes fantastic warm. Sake is not a substitute. Sake is technically a beer (it is brewed) and tastes totally different.

Buy Shaoshing at a liquor store. Be careful of the stuff at Asian markets -- some is "cooking wine" and thus has lots of salt added so you won't drink it. Sherry is an acceptable substitute and has somewhat similar flavor.

[JungMann]

The rice wine is going to balance out the dish, otherwise it ends up being salty and greasy. Sake will be fine. I'd use either that or shaoxing.

[ipsedixit]

Ditto.

And I'm not sure why sherry would be a bad idea from the OP's perspective.

[MGZ]

I absolutely agree that an acidic liquid is necessary. My problem is that I am basically limited to a few low end sakis in my local liquor stores. No other rice wines are available. I'd be willing to make a trip if something else would really benefit the dish, but that didn't seem likely.

As to sherry, I am actually a fan of drinking it. On the other hand, I find it's taste very distinctive and recognizable when cooked into a dish. Somehow, that noticeable sherry flavor seems inappropriate given the genesis of the dish.

[MikeG]

I think sherry is a better substitute, actually more in the "spirit" of a strong, dark-flavored, braised meat dish dish than sake. While made differently from completely different base ingredients, I think the overall flavor profile of a heavier, drier sherry is more like xiao hsing than sake is.

[JungMann]

Mike, I think you give a good description of sherry and shaoxing. But whereas both have a heavier flavor, sake has a lighter that I appreciate, particularly when combined with soy and sugar (and usually dashi).