Savory and sweet with a rich, aromatic burnt garlic flavor that really elevates the dish; the texture is soft and sticky, with tender yet chewy pork skin.
Red-braised pork belly is arguably the oldest and most classic Chinese dish. As the differences between northern and southern cooking styles narrow, adding a touch of creativity can create a unique flavor. As long as you master the frying heat for the garlic and the timing of adding it, this dish is easy to succeed with. Its biggest highlights are the appealing date-red color, the chewy pork skin, and the rich garlic aroma, delivering an unexpectedly delicious taste.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
1000 g (about 2.2 lbs) pork belly
The pork belly must be well-marbled with distinct layers of fat and lean meat—the more layers, the better—and should not be too lean.
Additional Ingredients
2 heads of garlic
Seasonings
soy sauce 20 g (about 1½ tablespoons)
40 g rock sugar (about 3 tablespoons)
20 g (about 1.5 tablespoons) Shaoxing wine
8 g salt
4 star anise
cinnamon stick 1
green onions and ginger to taste
Instructions
Instructions
Scorch the pork skin over an open flame until charred, then scrape off the burnt bits and rinse clean.
Step 1: Clean any remaining hairs from the pork skin and pat it dry. Heat a wok over high heat, then add a small amount of oil.
*You don't need too much oil when scorching the pork skin, as too much oil can splatter and cause burns.
② Place the pork skin-side down in the pan and cook over medium heat until the skin is charred, golden, and firm (Image 2).
*When scorching the pork skin, turn it frequently as the skin will shrink from the heat; some areas are hard to reach, so press down with a spatula, but don't hold it still—let the skin slide back and forth across the pan bottom to ensure even heating.
*If you prefer a chewier texture, you can sear the meat a bit longer at this stage, which will give the braised pork a firmer, more resilient bite.
Bring the pork to a boil in water, then drain and rinse to remove impurities.
Step 3: Place the whole piece of pork belly in a pot of cold water, add a small amount of scallion and ginger, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any foam, and cook for about 10 minutes (Image 3). Remove and let cool, then cut into 3 cm (about 1-inch) cubes and set aside (Image 4).
*Blanching the whole piece of meat in boiling water helps preserve more flavor, and the broth left from cooking the meat can be used to braise it.
Stir-fry sugar until it melts and turns a rich amber color to create caramelized coloring for the meat.
④ Add a small amount of water and rock sugar to the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low heat and slowly cook until the large bubbles turn into small bubbles and the sugar syrup becomes a reddish-brown caramel color (Figure 5).
*Stir constantly while simmering to prevent sticking to the pan.
Stir-fry the pork pieces until lightly browned.
⑤ Pour the meat pieces into the pan and stir-fry over medium-high heat a few times to evenly coat them with the caramelized sugar color. Then add the scallions, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick, stir-frying briefly (Image 6), followed by the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, cooking until fragrant.
*In this step, do not stir-fry the meat for too long once it's in the pan, or the caramelized sugar color will burn; stir-fry just until the color is evenly coated.
Braised Pork Belly
⑥ Add hot water or meat broth, season with salt, bring to a boil over high heat, cover, then reduce to low heat and simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours (Figure 7).
*When braising the pork, you must add enough hot water at once and avoid adding more water or lifting the lid during cooking, otherwise the flavor will become diluted.
Fry the garlic cloves in hot oil until golden brown and fragrant.
⑦ About 15 minutes before the meat is done, peel the garlic cloves and cut large ones in half. Heat a wok with oil to about 70% hot, then deep-fry the garlic over high heat until golden brown on the surface (Image 8). Remove the garlic and add it directly to the braising meat pot, stirring to combine (Image 9). Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, then increase the heat to reduce the sauce until thickened (Image 10).
*Adding garlic alone doesn't guarantee a rich garlic flavor—pay close attention to these three key points: use plenty of garlic, otherwise the flavor will be weak; when frying the garlic, always use high heat and hot oil to quickly brown it and release maximum aroma; fry the garlic only when the meat is nearly done (about 10 minutes remaining), then immediately toss it into the braising pot—if you let it cool before adding or put it in too early, you'll lose the garlic fragrance.
*Before adding the garlic, it's best to turn up the heat to reduce the sauce; once the liquid has decreased a bit, then add the garlic, because after adding the garlic you can only braise for another 10 minutes—if there's too much sauce left during this time and it can't be fully reduced, the final dish will taste diluted.
A lazy cook's trick
If you don't blister the pork skin or fry the garlic, the result is a traditional-style braised pork belly. If you like, you can add eggs, tofu knots, or other ingredients.