Dong Po Rou Braised Pork Belly Recipes

BRAISED PORK BELLY - DONG PO MEAT

Steps:

• Cut the pork into 4cm squares. Heat up the wok, put the pork skin side down to dry fry the skin until it becomes slightly brown. Remove.
• Place the pork in a pot of hot water and blanch for three minutes. Remove.
• Lay the spring onions in a crosshatch pattern at the bottom of a medium sized clay pot to form a thick even layer. The spring onions should cover the entire bottom of the pot. Lay the ginger slices evenly over the spring onion.
• Tie the pork pieces with a kitchen string.
• Arrange the pork pieces skin down on top of the spring onions.
• Add the remaining ingredients in B into the clay pot.
• Bring it to a boil with the lid on. When the liquid in the pot starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 90 minutes without stirring it.
• Turn the pork pieces skin-side up in the pot. Cover and simmer for another 90 minutes.
• Transfer the pork pieces to a plate. Remove the strings.
• Drizzle the sauce over the pork. Serve.

BRAISED PORK BELLY (DONG PO ROU/东坡肉)

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the pork belly and boil for 5 minutes. Discard water, remove pork from pot, rinse and pat dry. Cut the meat into 2 1/2-inch squares. Tie the pork pieces with food safety strings as tight as possible to avoid meat from falling apart while braising.
• Heat up a clay pot or stainless steel pot with oil, stir-fry the ginger and scallions until aromatic. Pour in the water and continue boiling for 10 minutes.
• Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and wine, adequate amount of water just to cover the pork belly and boil in high heat. Mix in rock sugar, pork pieces, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium-low, at a gentle simmering level, cover the pot and braise pork for 30 minutes. Turn pork skin side 'up', and continue braising for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until pork is tender enough to your liking. Adjust seasoning, as per taste, eg. sugar.
• Dish up and serve pork with Dongpo sauce over steamed rice or buns and vegetables.