Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (2 lb) ham bone / hock (Note 1)
• 1 1/4 cups long grain white rice , uncooked
• 9 cups (2.25 L or 2.25 QT) water

GARNISHES / FINISHES

• Salt & white pepper
• Finely sliced green onion
• Fried asian shallots / onions or something else crunchy , optional (Note 2)
• Sesame oil , optional

Instructions:

1. Place bone, rice and water in a large pot, slow cooker or pressure cooker. Cover with lid.
2. Cook using preferred method (times below), or until meat on ham is tender enough to shred.
3. Remove ham from soup, shred meat. Discard fatty / thick skin and sinew, keep bone. Use scissors if needed to chop meat.
4. Stir rice well, then return meat AND bone into soup.
5. Cook using preferred method, until rice is broken down and soup has a porridge like consistency – see video. 
6. Remove bone. Stir vigorously, then adjust consistency with water if desired. Or simmer uncovered if necessary to thicken. Adjust salt to taste (I usually just need a pinch), add a dash of pepper.
7. Serve rice soup garnished with green onions, a sprinkle of Asian Fried Shallots and drizzle of sesame oil.
8. Storage tip: Return bone into the soup, it continues to add flavour.

COOK TIMES

1. Stove: Simmer on low for 1 3/4 – 2 hours (no stirring), shred meat, then on low for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
2. Slow Cooker: Low for 8 hours, shred meat, then low for 1 – 2 hours.
3. Pressure Cooker: High for 50 minutes, shred meat, then high for 15 minutes or 20 minutes on sauté function.