Caramelised Pork Hock with Chilli Vinegar

Serves 4-6 (as part of an Oriental meal)
Cooking time - 1½ - 2hrs braising

oil for deep frying
2 x pork hocks (not ham hocks)
10 x garlic cloves
20 x white peppercorns
130ml sweet soy sauce (ketchap manis)
130ml oyster sauce
130ml Shaoxing wine or sherry
2 x cinnamon sticks or cassia bark
4cm root ginger, peeled and chopped finely
250ml light soy sauce

Garnish:
handful of coriander leaves
1 x red chilli, shredded
handful of dried fried shallots / fried onions (available in tubs from good supermarkets or Oriental food stores)
white rice vinegar (or white vinegar) into which you have sliced a couple (or more!) red chillies

Caramel:
150g palm sugar or light muscavado sugar
1 x star anise
1 x cinnamon stick or cassia bark

1. Put a couple of inches of oil in a wok and fry the pork hocks until browned. 
2. Crush the garlic with the peppercorns to a paste and fry in a little oil.
3. Add the sweet soy, oyster sauce, wine, cinnamon, ginger and light soy.
4. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins.
5. Add the pork hocks, top up with water to almost cover the hocks and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, skimming as needed.
6. Lift out the pork, cool and dice keeping 50ml of the stock.

To make the caramel:
1. Melt the sugar with a little water and cook till it starts to bubble, then darken and caramelise.
2. Add the reserved stock, star anise and cinnamon. The caramel should be like honey in colour and consistency. Keep boiling until it thickens a little.

To finish the dish:
1. Heat some oil in a wok and deep-fry the pork cubes until they are crispy.
2. Add the pork cubes to the sticky caramel mixture and garnish with the coriander, sliced red chilli and fried shallots.
3. Serve with the chilli vinegar as a dip.