Master Recipe 
This is a classic blueprint for braising a medium-size cut of meat. You can sub in pork, lamb, or beef shoulder here or any other bone-in meat cut with lots of connective tissue. This recipe has an Asian flair with the ginger, soy, sesame paste, and hint of spice, but really you can flavor the braising liquid any way you like, substituting wine, stock, or canned tomatoes; just keep the total amount of liquid relatively the same as in the master recipe. Swap the Asian ingredients for whatever spices take your fancy, such as lamb seasoned with cumin and cinnamon along with some preserved lemon for a Moroccan twist.
One could prepare this warming braised pork just to enjoy the spicy, fragrant aromas that fill the kitchen as it cooks. I love it right from the oven, and the fact that it usually leaves some welcome leftovers, giving me a day off in the kitchen!
8 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: A 4-quart (4 l) cast-iron pot with a lid; a baster; a fine-mesh sieve; a warmed serving platter.
3 pounds (1.5 kg) bone-in pork loin roast (do not trim off the fat), trussed in kitchen twine
Fine sea salt
Coarse, freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons julienne of fresh ginger
12 large shallots, peeled but left whole
12 plump, fresh garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
3 whole star anise
1/4 cup (60 ml) organic soy sauce
2 teaspoons intensely flavored honey, such as mountain or buckwheat
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) or peanut butter
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Crunchy Jasmine Rice, for serving
1. About 3 hours before cooking the pork, remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. This will ensure more even cooking.
2. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
3. Generously season the pork all over with salt and pepper. In the pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the pork and sear well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a platter.
4. To the fat remaining in the pot, add the ginger, shallots, garlic, star anise, soy sauce, honey, tahini, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Cook over low heat until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add 1-1/3 cups (330 ml) water and cook for 2 minutes more. Return the pork to the pot with the fat side up and bone side down.
5. Cover the pot, place it in the oven, and braise, basting the pork with the braising liquid about every 30 minutes and rotating it from time to time, until the meat is just about falling off the bone, at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
6. Carefully transfer the meat to a carving board. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and set it aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
7. While the pork is resting, strain the cooking juices through the fine-mesh sieve into a serving bowl, scooping off the fat that rises to the top. Discard the star anise but set aside the shallots and garlic to serve with the roast. Remove and discard the twine that was holding the pork together. With two forks, shred the meat and place on the warmed platter, passing the sauce. Serve with crunchy jasmine rice.
What to Do with Leftovers? 
Don’t shy away from making this recipe if you are cooking for fewer than six people. The leftover pork can be transformed into all sorts of wonderful dishes, since it easily lends itself to reheating. Reserve some of the cooking juices, sear the pork over high heat for a minute on each side, add a few more tablespoons of the marinade, and cook until it has reduced to a thick sauce. Serve with Crunchy Jasmine Rice and Roasted Cubed Eggplant, garnished with sliced scallions. Or serve reheated with steamed Chinese bao (buns) or Peking duck pancakes, Lime Mayonnaise, pickled carrots, and fresh mint leaves.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTE: Make this a day or two in advance and store in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 1 month.
WINE MATCH: This spicy braise calls out for a sturdy white, such as a rare Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Favorites include offerings from Domaine Marcoux, Raymond Usseglio, and Patrice Magni.