Dong Po Rou (東坡肉)
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Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: approx. 10 pieces of 1.5" x 1.5" pork belly
 
Ingredients
  • 500g to 700g Pork Belly
  • 2 tablespoons Oil
  • 500ml Hua Tiao Wine (Shao Xing Wine)
  • 60g Spring Onion (Root removed and washed) - Cut into length of about 3 inches
  • 40g Sliced Ginger
  • 6g Cinnamon Stick (about 2 small pieces or 1 big fat one)
Dark Sauce Mixture
  • 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
Instructions
Parboil the Pork Belly
  1. Boil a pot of water over medium high heat
  2. Add in the pork belly and boil for 5 mins
  3. Pat dry and set aside
Pan Fried Pork Belly Skin (Optional)
  1. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan
  2. Add in the parboiled pork belly, skin side down and fried the skin for about 5 mins or until brown and blistered
  3. Remove the pork belly from the pan and allow it to cool down abit before cutting
  4. *do not discard the oil in the frying pan. reserve for making the black sauce
Caramelised Black Sauce
  1. Use the frying pan and the remaining fats left from frying, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and stir fry until the sugar starts to melt a little.
  2. Add in both light and black soy sauce and allow it to come to low boil and remove from the heat
  3. Set aside for later use
Cut and tie the Pork Belly
  1. Cut the pork belly into cubes of about 1.5" x 1.5" (don't need to be too exact - or any size you prefer).
  2. Tie it up with a kitchen twine (like tying ribbon on a present)
Braising Time
  1. Prepare a pot that is just big enough to hold all the pork belly (you do not want to the pork belly to float around when braising; a pot with a base just nice to fit the pork belly will be perfect)
  2. Layer the base with spring onions, follow by ginger then the pork belly with skin side facing down
  3. Drizzle over the caramelized black sauce, hua tiao wine (covers ¾ of the pork belly) and cinnamon.
  4. Bring it to boil over medium heat and then reduce to the lowest heat possible to simmer the meat.
  5. Simmer the pork belly with skin side down for 1.5 hr, then turn the pork belly with skin side facing up and simmer for another 1.5hr. *Keyword: SIMMER
  6. When done, remove the pork belly from the pot and place it on the serving plates
  7. Increase the heat to medium high and reduced the braising liquid to a slightly thicker and glossy consistency. Drizzle the braising liquid over the pork belly and serve hot.
Notes
*if the pot is too small to hold all the hua tiao, add gradually along the cooking process and add more if necessary
*Refrain from adding water during the simmering process. Add Hua Tiao Wine instead will ensure a aromatic pieces of melt in your mouth Dong Po Rou
*for method with steaming process, Simmer the pork belly with skin side down for 1 hr, then turn the pork belly with skin side facing up and simmer for another 1 hour. Then transfer the pork belly and the sauce to steam for another 1 hour.
Recipe by eckitchensg at http://eckitchensg.com/2016/05/meltz-mouth-fats-fall-apart-tender-dong-po-rou-%e6%9d%b1%e5%9d%a1%e8%82%89/