Soy Braised Pork Belly
Sticky, savoury and irresistible pork belly that is simply one of life's finest enjoyments.
Ingredients
- 2 kg pork belly
- 100 g rock sugar substitute with white sugar
- 250 ml shaoxing cooking wine
- 250 ml soy sauce
- 3 chillies birds eye
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 spring onion
- 2 cm ginger piece
- 2 star anise
- 1.5 tsp sichuan pepper
- 250 ml water
Instructions
- Cut the pork belly into strips, roughly 4-5cm wide. Heat up a large pan over medium heat and place pork belly in. Make sure there is space between each piece of meat for steam to escape. Pan fry on each side until golden, be careful of oil splashes.
- Smash the garlic cloves and ginger. Set aside.
- Once all the pork has been pan fried, place into a large pot or pressure cooker. Pour out the excess pork fat into a bowl and reserve. Increase the heat to high and add in the ginger, garlic cloves, sichuan pepper, chillies, star anise and spring onion. Stir fry until fragrant, around 1min. Place into the pot along with the pork.
- Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the reserved pork fat. Add in the sugar and constantly stir it as it melts and caramelises. Be careful not to let it burn! Once it has become an amber caramel, pour into the pot with the pork belly. Return the pan to the heat and pour in the Shaoxing cooking wine to deglaze the pan for 1-2mins. Pour the cooking wine into the pork belly pot.
- Add the water into the pot and place it over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer with the lid on but left slightly ajar, for 3 hours, until the pork is tender but not falling apart. Stir occasionally and gently to avoid burning. If using the pressure cooker, bring it to pressure and cook for 30mins at high pressure. Release the pressure and remove the lid, continue to simmer the pork belly to reduce and the liquid, for another 20-30mins.
