Red Braised Pork Belly (红烧肉)

My family loves Roast Pork and braised pork but strangely they don't fancy pork belly in other cooking method.  Then again, while in Korea, I had witnessed my kiddos tucking in pork belly just cooking over a pan, dip in sauce and wrap in vegetable without any problem.  They will eating so wholeheartedly without without picking out the fats.  I wonder why.

Anyway, I was curious to see whether they will pick out the fats in this Red Braised Pork Belly (红烧肉).

What you need:

800g pork belly

3 slices ginger

1.5 tbsp rock sugar

3 star anise

6 cloves garlic

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp Shaoxing Rice Wine
Water to top up to cover the pork belly

Method:

Cut the pork belly into thick pieces, about 1 inch long.

Heat the wok over medium high.  Add 1 teaspoon oil and sear each side of the pork belly until brown. Set aside.

Wash and reheat wok.  Add 2 tbsp of oil and sautee ginger until fragrant.

Add in garlic, star anise and continue to fry until fragrant.

Add in rock sugar and keep stirring until it dissolved and turned golden.

Mix in the pork belly.

Then add in water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and rice wine and bring just a boil.  (water should cover the pork belly).  Refill water if pork is still not soft.

Once the sauce is boiling, lower down heat and let it simmer for 1 hr or until pork belly is tender.

Turn up heat again and keep stirring until sauce starts to thicken.

When the pork belly turns red and shinny, turn off heat.

Serve with jasmine rice.