Recipe Cuisine: Chinese
Theme: Soul Spicy
Hong Shao Style Pork Belly
By: Deborah Dean
Ingredients
- 700 g pork belly rashers, skin off, cut into 4–5 cm pieces
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp rock sugar or brown sugar
- 1½ tbsp LKK sichuan chilli douban sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 3 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
- 1 star anise
- 1 small piece cinnamon stick
- 1¼ cups hot water
- Sichuan Honey Glaze
- Peel of ½ orange, wide strips only, pith scraped off
- ¾ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp braising liquid (from the pork)
- 1 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- ½ tsp chilli flakes, optional
Product used in recipe
- LEE KUM KEE - SICHUAN CHILLI DOUBAN SAUCE
Method
- Place pork belly pieces in a cold, heavy pot. Turn heat to medium and allow fat to slowly render, turning occasionally, until lightly golden.
- Remove excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add sugar and let it melt and foam into a light caramel, coating the pork evenly.
- Push pork aside and add douban sauce to the fat. Fry gently for 30–45 seconds until the oil turns red and aromatic.
- Add ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine, then add soy sauces and hot water.
- Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook gently for 75–90 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pork is spoon-tender and the liquid has reduced to a glossy sauce.
- In a dry pan, char the orange peel over medium heat until blistered and fragrant. Add Sichuan peppercorns and toast briefly.
- Stir in honey, braising liquid, black vinegar, and chilli flakes. Simmer 2–3 minutes until lightly syrupy, then strain out solids.
- Remove whole spices from the pork. Pour the strained glaze into the pot and increase heat slightly. Toss gently for 2–3 minutes until the sauce clings thickly to the pork.
- Transfer to a warm serving bowl and immediately.
