Food & Receipts

Pork Belly: Enhance the Color and Texture with this Simple Step

With this cooking method, your Chinese braised pork will not only have an irresistible aroma and appealing color, but also a delicious taste that is beyond compare.

Administrator

24 December, 2023

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Braised pork belly is a familiar dish on the dinner table of many Vietnamese families. The tender and aromatic pieces of pork belly with a sticky and flavorful sauce are loved by both adults and children.

With this cooking method, you will have an eye-catching and delicious bowl of braised pork belly without spending too much time.

1. Ingredients for braised pork belly

– Pork belly: 500 grams

– Cinnamon: 1 piece

– Star anise: 3

– Bay leaves: 2

– Shallots, dried chili

– Ginger, garlic

– Seasonings: rock sugar, seasoning powder, dark soy sauce, salt, cooking wine, soy sauce

2. How to cook braised pork belly

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

– After buying the pork belly, clean it and let it dry. Then cut it into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

– Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and slice the ginger.

– Remove any damaged or wilted leaves, wash them with clean water, and cut them into small pieces.

Step 2: Parboil the pork

– Place a pot on the stove and add the pork belly. Pour cold water into the pot and bring it to a boil.

– During the boiling process, use a clean spoon to skim off any impurities.

– Transfer the parboiled pork belly to a bowl and let it drain.

Step 3: Braise the pork

– Place a braising pot on the stove, add enough cooking oil, and heat it up. Then add rock sugar and stir fry quickly over low heat until the sugar dissolves and turns caramelized.

– Add the parboiled pork belly and stir fry until the meat becomes firm and turns a delicious brown color.

– Add sliced ginger, minced garlic, and shallots, and stir fry until the aroma of the pork fills the kitchen. Then add bay leaves, star anise, dried chili, and cinnamon, and stir fry to evenly coat the meat. Finally, add cooking wine.

– Season the pot with 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and enough soy sauce. Mix well to let the meat absorb the flavors and have an attractive color. Then pour warm water to submerge the pork.

– Once the pot of pork reaches a boil, reduce the heat and continue simmering for about 40 minutes.

– Taste the dish and adjust the seasonings, such as salt and seasoning powder, according to your own taste. Turn up the heat and simmer until the sauce reduces to the desired consistency.

After being cooked, the braised pork belly will have a delicious aroma and an appealing color. When eating, you can feel the sweet and flavorful meat, the fragrance of cinnamon and star anise, and the tender texture. Braised pork belly is best enjoyed with hot steamed rice.

3. Tips for making braised pork belly

– When making braised pork belly, choose large pieces of meat with white fat, thin skin, and more meat than fat to avoid greasiness. Good pork belly should have a bright red color, look fresh and have no unpleasant odor.

– To make the dish more flavorful, you can use fresh coconut water instead of just plain water. The coconut water will seep into each piece of meat, giving your dish a rich and fragrant taste.

– Depending on your preferences, you can add boiled eggs or quail eggs to braise with the pork belly.

– If you don’t want to use rock sugar, you can use brown sugar as a substitute when braising.