Chinese: Braised Pork Belly

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:                

• 3 pounds pork belly (fresh side), trimmed to about 2½ pounds
• Water for blanching
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ cup “Garlic Ginger Sauce” (see master recipe)
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup rice wine
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chicken base
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped (separate white and green parts)
• Kitchen bouquet
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (dissolved in ½ cup of cold water) (optional)

Procedure:        

1. Add untrimmed whole pork belly to saucepan, add water to cover, blanch for 5 minutes, drain, pat dry
2. Heat oil in large frying pan, add whole pork belly skin-side down, cook for about 5 minutes until skin is crisp
3. Cut and trim pork belly into 2-inch cubes, retain as much skin as possible
4. Put cut pork belly back into frying pan and brown all sides, drain oil and grease
5. Transfer browned pork belly cubes into a pot, add ½ cup “Garlic Ginger Sauce,” water, wine, brown sugar, chicken base, star anise, green onions (white parts)
6. Cover pan, bring broth to a boil, then simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally (add more water if needed)
7. Add eggs and gently push it into the cooking liquid, simmer for another 15 minutes
8. When the pork is fork tender, turn up heat to thicken the broth (or stir in a little cornstarch slurry until broth is thickened)
9. Add Kitchen bouquet for color
10. When ready to serve, transfer eggs to a plate and cut in half
11. Serve the pork belly with braised eggs over rice
12. Garnish with green onions (green parts)