Canned braised pork belly (罐头扣肉）

A must-have dish for the Lunar New Year is steamed braised pork (扣肉). Some people enjoy making braised pork with yam, while others prefer to use preserved veggies.

The key to making braised pork is to boil the meat first, then deep-fry it, and finally steam it. The sauces are the key to enhancing the flavor of the braised pork with either yam or preserved veggies. Of course, choosing pork that is half-fat and lean pork belly tastes the best is also crucial. 

You can choose how thinly you want the pork slices. I sliced my pork to a thinness of 10 to 15 mm thinness. 

Another crucial tip is to just use wine and no water when preparing the braised pork. I'm using Shaoxing wine, and it's been proven that the more wine you use, the tastier and more fragrant the meat will be and that the meat will remain fragrant after stewing.

As I mentioned, this braised pork needs to boil first, then be deep-fried.  For those who find frying meat is very troublesome , you can wash, cut, and stir-fry the meat in a little cooking oil until the pork is just beginning to become a bit dry. Then do the remaining procedures to prepare the braised pork after adding the fried meat to the bowl.

Traditionally, this braised pork must steam for two hours at a high heat until the meat is mushy and rotting. I steam-cooked it for one hour from  using  pressure cooker . I steamed in one big steaming bowl. Or you can steam it in 4 small ceramic bowl. 

INGREDIENT

750g pork belly

30g sliced ginger

45ml dark soy sauce

60ml light soy sauce

30g rock sugar or granulated sugar

150ml Shaoxing wine

5 pieces of star anise

5 pieces dry bay leaves

3 tsp white pepper

Some salt to taste

 

For blanching

20g sliced ginger

1 stalk of spring onion

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

 

Corn starch slurry (mixed well)

2 tsp corn flour

5 tbsp water

 

METHOD

1.Clean the pork belly and place it in a wok with the Shaoxing wine and ginger slices. Cook for 30 minutes over high heat, then remove and wash through the tap water.

2. Using a meat tenderizer or a fork, pierce the skin of the pork with as many holes as you can. Using paper towels, dap the oil that emerged from the hole.

3. Spread dark soy sauce on the skin and the side, and let it dry for later use.

4. Inserted a few toothpicks into the pork belly skin as a stand.

5. Without turning on the heat, add some cooking oil to the pan. The oil is barely hot enough to cover the meat's skin side down. To prevent the oil from splashing out, turn on the heat and cover it with a lid. Turn the meat over and continue cooking the other side until it goes golden brown, and the skin turns brown-red and bubbles.

6. After removing the meat, soak it for at least an hour in a pot of ice-cold water with the skin side down. Remove from the ice water and refrigerate it overnight. When the meat is cold, slicing will be easier. 

7. In a bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, star anise, pepper, ginger, bay leaves and salt. Mix it well.

8. Slice up the cold meat into thin pieces. Soak the meat slices in the seasoning sauce for 10 minutes. Then, arrange the meat slices in the steaming bowl with the skin side down and pour the remaining sauce and herbs over them. 

9. Steam in a pressure cooker over high heat for 1 hours or until the meat is soft and rotten.

10. Remove the meat and strain the sauce to a pot, bring it to a boil. Add in cornstarch solution to thicken the sauce.

11. Place the meat slices on a serving plate, pour the sauce over the top and garnish with some spring onions.