Chinese pork knuckle with choy sum and broccoli

Chefs talk a lot about using cheap cuts of meat and cooking them in a way that brings a rich flavour and texture to the final dish. The recipe I have chosen certainly fits this brief and is a real favourite of mine. I have eaten many different versions of it over the years -- some have used tangerine peel and sherry, for instance -- but for me, a simple profile of ginger and mushrooms complementing the tender pork without too many competing flavours has always been the best.

It takes a bit of searching to find the main ingredient -- a pork knuckle from the fore-end of a pig. Supermarkets no longer stock it but I tracked some down in a butchers in Liss Forest, called Berrimans. The butcher removed two hands of pork from the whole sides and broke them down so I could have the knuckles without trotters.

This dish is a great winter warmer and there can't be a simpler meal to prepare. The ingredients you need for four good portions are: two knuckles of pork; four star anise; one inch of a cinnamon stick; 12 dried black mushrooms (soaked for 20 minutes in cold water); four spring onions; two inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced; four cloves of crushed garlic; 30ml of dark soy sauce; 40ml of light soy sauce; 15ml of black rice wine vinegar; and 15g of sugar.

To marinade the meat, mix the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar and rub it into the pork and then put it aside for a couple of hours.

Place all the remaining ingredients into a deep saucepan with four pints of water or chicken stock. Bring to the boil and add the pork. Return to the boil and then reduce the heat as low as possible so that the liquid is barely moving. Cover and cook for two to three hours until the meat is very tender. Remove from the heat and let it stand in the liquor while you finish preparing the vegetables.

I enjoy this dish served with some stir-fried choy sum or tender-stem broccoli and plain boiled rice. Ideally, the meat should be removed from the bone placed in the centre of a large plate and surrounded by the vegetables. To finish, pour over a generous serving of sauce.

''Tony Robertson is a consultant development chef currently working with several clients ranging from large foodservice companies to small ingredient suppliers.

He started out as a hotel commis chef with Fortes and then worked in several restaurants, before moving into commercial catering with Carrefour as a head chef.

He has been responsible for setting up and overseeing the smooth running of many kitchens over the years, as well as the development of thousands of recipes, product promotions and concepts. He now uses his wealth of experience to advise and help food companies in a consultative capacity. He can be contacted at eboregfbag@ogvagrearg.pbz​.''