Red Braised Pork Belly

This is one of Tina's favourite dishes. I have only had this a few times, but be warned, it is so very delicious and very addictive!

Tina's Tips:

• For the nice colour and glossy look, use rock sugar

• Pan shearing the skin makes the pork belly taste better in the end

• Pre-boiling the pork skin in water is healthier because it gets rid of some of the pork fat

• Anytime you add water to already heated ingredients, the water needs to be boiled. Never add cold or warm water.

• 2.5 lb pork belly
• 4 pieces of fried tofu, cut into1.5 cm squares (optional)
• 4 thin slices giner x 2
• 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pepper corn
• 2 stars anises
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 table spoon dark soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon cooking wine
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 2 cups boiled water

vegetable oil, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine

rock sugar

On medium heat, place pork skin down into wok. Shear until skin is golden brown (~ 5 minutes)

Rinse with warm water and scratch pork skin with a small knife to smoothen the surface.

Cut pork into 2 cm x 2 cm cubes and place in wok.

Add cold water (enough to cover pork) and add 4 ginger slices. Bring water to boil on high.

Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour out the hot water. Rinse pork well under cold water and place on bowl.

Sheared and boiled pork belly.

On low/medium heat, add vegetable oil to wok. Add pepper corn, star anise, cinnamon stick and rock sugar.

Stir gently and cook until sugar is melted. The oil will turn golden.

Add pork belly and the remainder 4 slices of ginger to wok.

Turn heat to medium. Keep stirring until  meat becomes golden red (~ 2 minutes).

Add dark soy sauce and stir to coat pork evenly. Add cooking wine. Stir. Add salt. Stir. Add 2 cups of boiled water and turn the heat to low/medium. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Add tofu. Stir evenly. Cover and cook on low for ~10 minutes, stirring once or twice. The tofu will soak up the sauce.

Remove from heat and serve hot.