「Southern-Style Braised Pork Belly」

Ingredients and amounts

• About 2 jin (1 kg) pork belly
• 100-150 ml oil (vegetable, lard, or peanut oil)
• 6 slices ginger
• About 15 rock sugar pieces
• 30 g white sugar
• 15 ml dark soy sauce
• 20 ml cooking wine
• Cold water (enough to cover ingredients)
• Boiling water (enough to cover ingredients)
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 star anise
• 2-3 g salt
• 10 g Sichuan peppercorns

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Step 1

   Cut the pork belly into large chunks (about 4.5 cm).

2. 2

   Step 2

   Slice the ginger (each slice about 3 mm thick).

3. 3

   Step 3

   Bring water to a boil.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Prepare cold tap water.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Cut the white part of scallions into small sections (scallions preferred, but green onions work too).

6. 6

   Step 6

   Cut garlic cloves in half crosswise; do not crush them, as they will be hard to remove and may affect the final sauce.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Set aside half the scallion and ginger. Place the remaining ginger, scallion whites, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and bay leaves in a bowl for later use.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Place the pork belly chunks in a pot of cold water, add cooking wine and 2/5 of the scallion and ginger. Boil for 15 minutes to remove bloodiness, then drain and rinse clean.

9. 9

   Step 9

   Caramelize the sugar: follow method 2 for making sugar color.

10. 10

    Step 10

    Add the prepared ginger, scallion whites, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and pork belly to the pot. Stir-fry over high heat until fragrant. Pour in boiling water to cover all ingredients, then simmer for 50-60 minutes.

11. 11

    Step 11

    If using a pressure cooker, cook for 40 minutes.

12. 12

    Step 12

    Add 10 ml cooking wine.

13. 13

    Step 13

    Cover and bring to a boil. Every 25 minutes, open the lid and skim off the oil and foam from the surface.

14. 14

    Step 14

    When the liquid level drops to 3/5 of the height from the bottom to the top of the meat, reduce to medium heat. Remove all aromatics except the meat and liquid, then begin reducing the sauce.

15. 15

    Step 15

    Uncover and cook until the sauce is thick and nearly gone (do not let it dry out completely). Serve.