Braised Pork Belly 紅燒肉

Auntie Emilys Kitchen-Braised Pork Belly1

I used a bottle of Corona for braising. I like using the lighter beers since the taste is not as strong and not bitter. You can use any beer or even a carbonated drink. Ginger ale will work well too. Just add less sugar if you choose a sweetened carbonated drink.

Approximate cost (CAD) $10

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings Servings

Calories 870 kcal

Ingredients

600 g Pork belly
6 slices Ginger
4 stalks Green onions
3 tbsp Water to dilute the caramelized sugar
330 ml Light beer
200 ml Water (or enough to cover the pork when braising)
2 Bay leaves
2 Star anise
1 Small cinnamon stick
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tsp Sugar (white granulated or small rock sugar pieces)
2 tbsp Light soy sauce
1 tsp Dark soy sauce
2 tsp Corn starch for slurry
2 tbsp Water for slurry
1 tbsp Oil

Instructions

Slice pork belly into desired size and shape
Place the pork belly into a wok or pot, add water just until it covers the pork belly, add 3 slices of ginger, 1 stalk of green onion (except for the green part which will be chopped up for garnish), and 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine These ingredients will help to neutralize any unwanted odours in the pork
Cover with lid and bring to a boil on high heat You may want to remove any foam that forms with a skimmer so that the foam doesn’t stick to the pork. But you will also be rinsing the pork so it’s not a big deal if you leave the foam
When the water boils, remove the pork and submerse into cold water
Rinse with cold water a few times until water runs clear
Leave pork in colander to dry Pat the pork dry with a paper towel if pork has not completely dried to prevent oil splatter in step 7
In a wok, using medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp oil and add pork belly, arrange pork belly in single layer We are trying to get a light sear on the pork belly and sweat out excessive pork fat. Be careful of oil splatter in this step because water gets trapped in the skin. If you want to minimize oil splatter, you can sear the skin side before cutting up the pork in a hot wok (no oil). Sear for 2-3 minutes until skin is charred. Then scrape off char and rinse with water
Once pork belly is seared, remove pork belly and pour the fat out in a separate container leaving approx. 2 tbsp in the wok Note that the fat cannot be poured into your kitchen drain. It can cause clogs when it solidifies. I save it and use it to fry vegetables, rice and stir-fries
On medium-high heat, add 2 tsp sugar to the oil in the wok. Use a spatula to move it around until it dissolves and caramelizes
Add 3 tbsp water to dilute the caramelized sugar
Add pork, 3 slices of ginger, 2 bay leaves, 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp dark soy sauce into the wok and stir-fry until everything is coated with the caramelized sugar It’s also traditional to add peppercorns (Sichuan, white or black would be fine), but unless I put it into a tea bag while braising, they are difficult to fish out before serving. My family doesn’t like it when they bite into a peppercorn. But if you’d like to add some, you can add them now
Pour in approx. 330 ml of beer. If it’s not enough to cover the pork then add water until pork is covered I transferred everything into a clay pot for braising but you can also braise in the wok
Chop some green parts of the green onion for garnish and tie the rest up in a knot and put it in the wok
Bring to a boil using high heat
Once it’s boiling, turn heat down to low and let it cook for 60 minutes. Stir 20 minutes and remove foam, if any
After 60 minutes, the pork should be tender. Taste test and make adjustments if necessary. Remove ginger, green onions, star anise, bay leaves and cinnamon stick
To thicken the sauce, turn the heat up to high and let the liquid evaporate for around 5 minutes. Do not cover with lid
If you would like the sauce to be thicker, combine 2 tsp corn starch with 2 tbsp water to make a slurry. Mix well and pour it in slowly. Stir until sauce thickens
Add chopped green onions and serve

Nutrition

Calories: 870kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 16gFat: 83gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 39gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 644mgPotassium: 376mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 142IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Braised Pork, Pork Belly

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