Pork Stew A la Saigon

° Serves 6

Seasoned with five-spice powder, available in most supermarkets, this stew has a pronounced taste. You can make your own five-spice powder by combining ground star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Szechuan peppercorns, and anise seeds. Here honey adds sweetness to the dish.

Cook this stew in a Dutch oven or other attractive cast-iron pot so the stew can go directly from the stove to the table.

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or shoulder blade, cut into 2-inch cubes (about 18 cubes)
• 2 onions (about 8 ounces total), peeled and chopped coarsely (about 2 cups)
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Basic Chicken Stock or canned chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One 10-ounce can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• One 16-ounce can straw mushrooms, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot. When the oil is hot, add the pork cubes in one layer, cover, and brown over high heat, turning the meat occasionally, for about 15 minutes. (The meat will not brown immediately; it will release moisture and steam for about 7 minutes, at which point the moisture will have evaporated and the meat will begin to brown.)

Add the onions and garlic and stir well. Add the flour and five-spice powder and stir well. Mix in the soy sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 1 hour.

Stir in the bamboo shoots and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the chives.

Note: This stew freezes well. Wait to add the bamboo shoots and straw mushrooms (and chives) until just before serving. The best way to reheat the stew is portion by portion in a microwave oven.