Pork Knuckle Ginger Stew

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A classic Cantonese dish made with pork knuckles, ginger, vinegar, and eggs, traditionally served as a nourishing postpartum meal.

(Day ⅓) Prepare the ginger by peeling the skin & letting it sunbathe overnight. This removes all the water so the spice from the ginger is extra concentrated.
(Day ⅓) Place the pork knuckles in a bowl, and rinse with water multiple times. This will wash out all the guts and ensure your pork is extra clean.
(Day ⅓) In a large pot, add the pork knuckles, some ginger slices (optional) and a cup of rice vinegar. Fill with water so that the pork knuckles are all covered, and bring to boil for 5 minutes.
(Day ⅓) The pork knuckles will have a translucent color, and put them in the fridge overnight.
(Day ⅔) Grab the sun-dried ginger, and chop them into chunks. Using the side of a knife, smash them into pieces. Give it a good whack!
(Day ⅔) Pour a quarter of the Chinese vinegar sauce into a large pot along with your smashed ginger. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, and leave the pot overnight on the counter.
(Day 3/3) Take the pot from overnight and add in the pork knuckles from day 1 and all the peeled eggs (optional). Pour the remainder of the Chinese vinegar sauce.
(Day 3/3) Bring the pot to a boil, and you're ready to serve.

Expert Tips

Sun-dry the ginger properly: Don’t skip the sun-drying step, as removing moisture concentrates the ginger’s aroma and gives the stew its signature bold, warming flavor.
Don’t rush the steaming step: Steaming the pork knuckles with ginger and rice vinegar first builds a cleaner, richer base for the stew.
Let the ginger-vinegar mixture rest overnight: Allowing the smashed ginger to soak in vinegar overnight is key to developing that deep, concentrated spice.