In China, Braised Pork Belly is a widely known dish. Each household cook has their own unique recipe and personal touches added to the original. Let’s dive into this beloved homemade delight!
About This Chinese Braised Pork Belly Recipe:
Braised pork belly is an essential dish in Chinese home cooking. There are countless variations and cooking methods across China.
The dish is centered around the rich flavor of soy sauce and a blend of Chinese ingredients. The succulent and smooth pork belly meat is infused with sweet soy sauce and star anise flavors, making it a truly appetizing meal.
This recipe offers a basic version as a starting point. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can elevate the flavors by adding extra ingredients like spring onions, garlic, dried chili, bay leaves, or cinnamon sticks to create your own unique twist. It’s all about making this cherished dish your own!
Ingredients:
- Pork Belly: While fresh pork belly is the top choice, frozen options can work too. Just ensure it’s completely thawed before you start cooking.
- Soy Sauce: In this recipe, we use two types of soy sauce: light soy sauce (also known as normal soy sauce) and dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is less salty than the light version, primarily used for adding color. You can caramelize sugar to achieve that rich, appetizing hue on the meat.
- Start Anise: If you want to make the flavor even stronger, go ahead and add more star anise. The recipe begins with 4, but I usually use 7-8 to really boost the taste.
Here’s how to make Chinese Braised Pork Belly:
This recipe is quite easy to follow. There are three main steps involved: parboiling, braising, and caramelizing. These steps work together to enhance the flavor and presentation of the dish.
1, Parboiling — Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Put the pork into the saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Discard the hot water and wash the gunk off the pork with cold water.
2, Braising — Place pork belly, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, sugar, and star anise in the saucepan. Add water to barely cover the meat. Lower heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and continue braising for about 60 minutes.
3, Caramelising — turn to high heat, remove the cover, and let the liquid evaporate and thicken. Turn and mix the pork to make sure the meat is covered evenly. You should end up with a thick, glistening sauce that covers the tender pork belly.
Now that you’ve got the hang of making Chinese Braised Pork Belly, it’s your turn to give it a go!
So, grab your apron, fire up the stove, and enjoy the mouthwatering journey of crafting this delicious dish in your very own kitchen.
Happy cooking and even happier eating!
Braised Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 800 g pork belly (cut into 3-4 cm thick pieces)
- 1/2 cup Chinese rice wine
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce (for colouring, optional)
- 4 star anise
- 4-5 slices ginger
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Parboiling — Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Put the pork into the saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Discard the hot water and wash the gunk off the pork with cold water.
- Braising — Place pork belly, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, sugar and star anise in the saucepan. Add water to barely cover the meat. Lower heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and continue braising for about 60 minutes.
- Caramelising — turn to high heat, remove the cover, and let the liquid evaporate and thicken. Turn and mix the pork to make sure the meat is covered evenly. You should end up with a thick, glistening sauce that covers the tender pork belly.
Recipe Notes:
- Pork Belly: While fresh pork belly is the top choice, frozen options can work too. Just ensure it’s completely thawed before you start cooking.
- Soy Sauce: In this recipe, we use two types of soy sauce: light soy sauce (also known as normal soy sauce) and dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is less salty than the light version, primarily used for adding color. You can caramelize sugar to achieve that rich, appetizing hue on the meat.
- Start Anise: If you want to make the flavor even stronger, go ahead and add more star anise. The recipe begins with 4, but I usually use 7-8 to really boost the taste.
Nutrition Information:
You might also like:
There is no quantity for the star anise. What is it please?
Thanks so much. I just added the quantity in.
These were delicious. I only used 1/4 plus 1tablespoon of water and had no problem cooking the water out. I cooked for an hour and took the lid off and finished. They smelled wonderful cooking and the taste didn’t disappoint. Thanks for the recipe.