Pork shoulder (5 to 7 lb),
           -with bone and rind
           Water
    3/4 c  Sherry (dry)

           -or Shaoxing wine
    1/3 c  Dark soy sauce

           Chinese yellow rock sugar,
           -6 crystals (each crystal
           -about 1 inch square)
  1 1/2 t  Salt (or to taste)

      6    Star anise cloves

      1    Cinnamon stick

           -(about 2 inches long)
      4 sm Chili peppers,

           -dried (optional)
           Tangerine peel, dried,
           -3 pieces (optional)
      6    Garlic cloves (crushed)

      4 sl Ginger (thick)

      1    Scallion (whole), trimmed

      2    Spinach bunches, washed

  Put the pork in a large pot with water to cover.  Bring to a boil, simmer
  for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse. Again add the pork to the pot with
  fresh water to cover, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to
  medium, partially cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the rest of the
  ingredients (except the spinach), and simmer the pork for another 2 1/2 to
  3 hours. The rind and the fat should be very soft when it's done.

  Remove the pork from the liquid and keep it warm.  Strain the sauce into a
  large skillet and reduce it over high heat.  This may take a while,
  depending on how much liquid you end up with.
  Meanwhile, steam the spinach until just wilted, salt it lightly, and keep
  it warm. When the sauce is reduced (it should be the consistency of a thin
  syrup), put the pork shoulder in the center of a large platter, arrange the
  spinach around it, and pour the sauce over.
  NOTES:
  *  A Chinese Method of Cooking a Pork Roast -- I got this recipe originally
  from the _San Francisco Chronicle_.  It uses some ingredients that might be
  hard to get in some parts of the country, but suggests alternatives. Yield:
  Serves 10-15.
  *  Can substitute about 1/3 C granulated sugar for the rock crystals.
  : Difficulty:  moderate.
  : Time:  30 minutes preparation, 3-4 hours cooking.
  : Precision:  approximate measurement OK.
  : Jeff Lichtman
  : Relational Technology, Inc., Alameda, California
  : {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff
  : {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff
  :
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