Chinese Style Braised Pork Belly
Juicy and succulent pork belly braised in a spicy, aromatic and deeply flavoured Chinese style sauce!
Equipment
- Shallow wide frying pan or casserole pot
- Blender
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Cooking spoon
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 500g prime or spare ribs OR
- 3-4 large bone in pork belly slices
Whole Spices
- 5 cm cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 6 cloves
- 20-30 dried birds eye chillies
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
Ingredients for blending
- 1 thumb size ginger
- 2 shallots
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 cup rice wine
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp dark soya sauce
- 2 tbsp light soya sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
Instructions
- Wash and cut your pork into your desired pieces. Season the pork with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Measure out all your ingredients and blend all the ingredients together except the whole spices and 5 spice powder and set aside.
- Heat the oil in your pan until smoking hot and then add the seasoned pork and fry until browned all over.
- Once browned remove ribs and set aside.
- Now throw in the star anise, cloves, bird eye chillies and five spice powder and fry them alone for about 2 minutes or until aromatic.
- Pour in the blended mix and then add the pork back in once a bubble starts. Now pour water to cover the pork - about 1.5-2 cups. NOTE - This is why it is important to use a shallow pan so you do not overdo it on the water.
- Replace the cover and allow to come to the boil about 5-7 minutes. Then turn the heat down to low.
- Leave pork to braise for at least 1 hour. From time to time flip the ribs or pork belly and use a spoon to coat the ribs in sauce. NOTE: If liquid is drying too fast turn the temperature lower.
- Pork should be ready after an hour. Pork belly will look succulent and pierce easily with a fork. Ribs will be slipping off the bone and also pierce easily with a fork.
- Turn your heat back up to high and remove the lid and reduce your sauce down to your desired thickness. I usually do this stage for at least 10 minutes.
Notes
If using pork belly, I recommend leaving the pieces whole to keep the moisture and flavour in. For ribs ask your butcher to cut them into 4 inch pieces or do this yourself at home with a meat cleaver.