Ingredients
750 g (about 1.5 lbs) pork belly, 45 g fermented rice paste (distiller's grains).
Seasonings
50 g (about 1/4 cup) sugar, 25 g (about 2 tablespoons) Shaoxing wine, 20 g each scallion and ginger, 15 g (about 1 tablespoon) MSG, 12 g (about 2 teaspoons) salt, soy sauce and pork broth to taste.
Instructions
1. Place the blanched pork belly skin-side down in a clay pot lined with a bamboo mat. Add soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, scallions, ginger, and pork broth. Press the meat down with a plate, cover the pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Transfer to low heat and braise for 30 minutes. Remove the meat and let it cool completely.
2. Take a bowl and pour in some soy sauce. Cut the pork into slices 9 cm long and 0.9 cm thick, then arrange them skin-side down in the bowl. Mix 100 g of the original liquid from the fermented rice braising and pour it evenly over the meat. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and steam for 1 hour. Remove, invert the bowl onto a plate to release the meat, and serve. This dish has a rich red-brown color, is tender and fully infused with flavor, with an enticing fermented rice aroma.