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Level 5 Minced & Moist
Prep: 180 min Difficulty: Medium Main ingredient: pork
#level-5#pork#braised#lo-shui#cantonese#collagen#hong-kong#soft-and-bite-sized#savory

Braised Pork Shin (Lo Shui) | IDDSI Level 5 Recipe

IDDSI Level 5 (Minced and Moist) | 3 hours | Medium | High-Collagen

Lo Shui (滷水) braised pork shin is one of Cantonese cuisine’s great slow-cooked preparations — pork shin (豬蹄膀, the upper foreleg cut with a high ratio of connective tissue, tendon, and skin to muscle) is braised for 2.5–3 hours in a fragrant master stock flavoured with star anise, cinnamon, soy sauce and rice wine until the collagen has fully dissolved into gelatin and the meat can be broken apart with chopsticks alone. For IDDSI Level 5 (Minced and Moist), the braised pork is cut into bite-sized pieces of 1.5cm or smaller — pieces that can be mashed with the tongue against the palate without chewing, requiring no molar contact. The rich, glossy braising sauce provides essential moisture and lubrication for safe swallowing. This recipe yields one of the most satisfying Level 5 dishes possible — genuinely delicious, deeply cultural, and texturally appropriate.

Ingredients (4–6 servings)

Pork:

Lo Shui master stock:

Method

  1. Blanch the pork shin: place pork pieces in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to remove impurities. This step is essential for a clean, clear braising liquid.
  2. Prepare the lo shui stock: combine all stock ingredients in a large pot or wok. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste the stock — it should be deeply savoury with a distinct spice fragrance; adjust soy sauce or sugar as needed.
  3. Add the blanched pork pieces to the stock. The liquid should cover the pork by at least 2cm; add more water if needed.
  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer — the surface should be barely trembling, with only occasional small bubbles. Cover and braise for 2.5–3 hours.
  5. After 1.5 hours, turn the pork pieces over in the stock to ensure even colour and tenderness. The pork is ready when a chopstick can be inserted into the thickest part with minimal resistance, and the skin visibly jiggles when shaken.
  6. Remove the pork from the stock and allow to rest for 20 minutes. While warm but firm enough to handle, cut into pieces of 1.5cm or smaller — all dimensions. Remove any large pieces of bone if present (pork shin often contains small bone fragments — check carefully). Discard bones and any hard cartilage pieces.
  7. Strain the remaining braising stock and reduce over high heat for 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. This becomes the sauce.
  8. Arrange the bite-sized pork pieces in a bowl and spoon 3–4 tablespoons of the reduced sauce over them. The pork should be visibly moist and glistening.

Texture Test

Bite-size check: All pieces are 1.5cm or smaller in every dimension. No pieces larger than 1.5cm are present.

Tongue-press test (Level 5): A piece of pork held between thumb and index finger and pressed firmly can be mashed — it yields and breaks apart without requiring significant force, simulating tongue-palate mashing. The meat and skin have the same yield properties.

Moisture test: The pork is visibly moist and coated in sauce. It does not crumble or fall apart into dry fibres when picked up with a spoon.

Fork test: A fork tine pressed into a piece easily penetrates the pork — it does not require any cutting or sawing motion.

Safety Notes

⚠️ Bone and cartilage check is mandatory — pork shin contains small bones that may be difficult to see after braising. Check every serving carefully before presenting to residents. Hard cartilage pieces may also need to be removed, as they do not soften with braising.

⚠️ Piece size — all pieces must be 1.5cm or smaller for Level 5. Use a ruler or visual reference during cutting; err on the side of smaller rather than larger.

⚠️ Adequate moisture — dry pork shin pieces are a choking hazard even at Level 5. Always serve with an adequate amount of sauce coating each piece. If reheating, add additional sauce or braising stock to restore moisture.

⚠️ Skin and tendon check — while pork skin and tendon become very soft after long braising, very gelatinous rubbery pieces should be further minced or removed for residents with very limited oral processing ability.

Sourcing Outside Hong Kong

For international care kitchens and home cooks outside Hong Kong, Cantonese ingredients are widely available at East and Southeast Asian grocery stores:

Pork (fresh or minced): widely available at Asian butcher counters in Wing Yip (UK), 99 Ranch Market (US/CA), and T&T Supermarket (Canada).

If a specific ingredient is unavailable in your region, the recipe notes alternative substitutions in the Ingredients section. For dishes requiring fresh Cantonese-specific ingredients (e.g. preserved century egg, fresh rice noodle rolls), check with your local East Asian grocer before substituting — texture compliance for IDDSI levels may require specific products.

Nutrition

Approximately 280 kcal per serving (approximately 150g pork with sauce), 25g protein, 18g fat, 4g collagen-derived gelatin. Pork shin is exceptionally rich in collagen — after long braising, the collagen converts to gelatin, which contributes to joint health and skin integrity. The gelatin in the sauce also acts as a natural thickener and lubricant for the pieces, improving the safety profile for dysphagia residents. Pork provides complete protein, zinc, and B vitamins (particularly B1, B2, and B3). The braising process does not significantly reduce the protein or mineral content.

Storage and Reheating

The braised pork can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The braising stock will solidify into a jelly when cold — this is the collagen and is desirable. To reheat: place the pork pieces with their sauce in a pot over low heat, stirring gently until warmed through. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick. Texture-check after reheating — the pork should remain yielding and moist.

Cultural Note

Lo Shui braised dishes are a cornerstone of Cantonese and Teochew cuisine. In Hong Kong, a good lo shui master stock is a prized family heirloom — replenished after each use, the stock deepens in flavour over months and years of cooking. Pork shin is a festive and celebratory ingredient, associated with New Year’s dinners and special family occasions. For elderly residents who have eaten this dish throughout their lives, receiving a properly prepared bowl of lo shui pork shin — cut appropriately for their swallowing function — is a gesture of deep respect and cultural acknowledgement.

Variation

⚠️ This recipe is for reference only. Texture varies by technique and ingredients. A speech therapist should confirm the appropriate IDDSI level.
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