Red Braised Pork Belly
This dish is about the transformation of texture. By searing the pork and simmering it low and slow, the connective tissue breaks down while the liquid reduces into a concentrated, mirror-like coating.
Patience is your primary ingredient
Do not rush the caramelization of the sugar or the final reduction of the sauce. If the heat is too high, the sugar will turn bitter rather than deep bronze.
- Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- Sharp chef's knife
- Tongs
- Fine-mesh skimmer
What goes in.
- 2 lbpork belly, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 3 tbsprock sugar
- 1/4 cupShaoxing wine
- 3 tbsplight soy sauce
- 1 tbspdark soy sauce
- 3 slicesfresh ginger
- 2star anise
- 1cinnamon stick
- 2 cupshot water
Mastering the Caramel
Melting rock sugar in oil until it turns a deep mahogany provides the color and the base note for the sauce. Watch for the bubbles to transition from large to tiny, which indicates the sugar is ready for the pork.
The method.
Blanch the pork
Place pork in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes to remove impurities, then drain and rinse with cold water.
Caramelize
In a heavy pot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and the rock sugar over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar melts and turns a dark bronze.
Sear the meat
Add the pork to the caramel. Toss quickly to coat every surface in the sugar. The meat will start to brown and release its own fat.
Aromatize
Add ginger, star anise, cinnamon, Shaoxing wine, and both types of soy sauce. Stir for one minute until the fragrance releases.
Simmer
Pour in hot water until just covering the meat. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 90 minutes.
Reduce
Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze that clings to the pork.
Other turns to take.
Hard Boiled Egg Addition
Add peeled, soft-boiled eggs into the pot during the last 20 minutes of simmering to soak up the sauce.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use hot water when braising; cold water will tighten the meat fibers and make the pork tough.
If the sauce is not thickening enough at the end, turn the heat up slightly and stir constantly to prevent burning.
The fat rendered during the process is flavorful; skim only if the layer is excessive.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of rock sugar?
Yes, but rock sugar produces a cleaner, more translucent gloss on the meat that granulated sugar cannot match.
How do I know when the pork is finished?
The pork should be fork-tender, meaning a fork slides into the meat with zero resistance.
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