Cooking Pork In A Clay Dish

Make tender, savory pork for dinner without spending the night in the kitchen. Cooking pork in a clay pot is a traditional Vietnamese technique that slow-cooks the meat, infusing it with herbs and spices. In Vietnam, pork cooked in a clay pot is usually sticky and sweet, prepared with sugar and Vietnamese fish sauce, but any flavorful ingredients can be cooked in the pot along with the pork to create a fusion meal that's warm and hearty.

Choosing a Pot

Choose a clay pot that is treated for food consumption, has a tight-fitting lid, and is large enough to cook enough pork to feed your entire family. Before putting any ingredients in the pot, spray the inside and the lid with a nonstick cooking spray. If you don't have a clay pot, use a saucepan, Dutch oven or covered casserole dish.

Pork Shoulder

In Vietnamese clay pot dishes, pork shoulder is the cut of meat traditionally used. Approximately 1 1/2 pounds of meat cut from the shoulder will serve four people, according to Mark Bittman in "The New York Times" blog, Diner's Journal. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes, keeping some of the visible fat on the meat. This fat will help flavor the dish and make the meal heartier. To cut back on calories, remove as much of the visible fat as possible from the meat. Cook the pork on medium heat along with your desired broths, sauces, herbs and spices for 30 minutes, until the pork is tender.

Rack of Pork

Cook a 4-pound frenched rack of pork in a clay pot to serve six to eight people. Brine the pork in saltwater for three hours, then rinse off the meat. If desired, slice holes into the meat and add garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Cook the rack of pork with your desired herbs, spices and sauces in the covered clay pot and place it in a 385-degree oven for two and a half hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Sauces, Herbs and Spices

Before cooking the pork, add the traditional Vietnamese ingredients, such as 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of canola oil, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, pepper, chili, shallots, ginger and garlic. Add the herbs and spices to taste. To vary the taste of the pork dish, skip the Vietnamese ingredients and opt instead for oregano, yellow mustard, paprika, white wine, lemon juice and a 12-ounce can of beer, recommends FoodNetwork.com.