Swenglish Stewed Pork Belly or Red-Braised Pork

The next cooking project for the new pot was this stewed pork belly. You can use just pork if you don't like the oily part of it, but have one or two in to lend some flavors. My dad likes to eat the skin when it just melts in your mouth and I'll be cooking this for him the next time I go back to visit him in Singapore.

This was adapted from the Sichuan cookbook by Fuschia Dunlop with the addition of dried chili and galangal. The subtle flavors work very well together and this is a must to try! The sauce goes very well with rice and it can be just a meal by itself.

Preparation time around 2.5 hours, or until the pork turns soft enough for your liking.

Ingredients
500g streaky pork belly with skin or pork fillets
30g fresh ginger, unpeeled
10g galangal unpeeled
2 spring onions
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
500ml stock
2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon soft brown sugar or rock sugar
1/2 a star anise(about 4 segments)
2-3 dried chili, reconstituted

Steps

1. Blanch the pork for a couple of minutes in boiling water, then remove and rinse in clean water. Cut them into3-4cm chunks.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Heat the oil in the saucepan until it begins to smoke, add the ginger, galangal, dried chili and spring onions. Stir fry for about 30 seconds, then add in the pork chunks.
   
3. Add in the stock (should be hot) and the rest of the ingredients and seasoning, stir well and bring to a boil.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Turn down the heat on low and let it simmer with the pot being half-covered for about 2 hours or until pork chunks has softened. Stir it from time to time.