Braised Pork Belly with Tea Eggs by Elizabethwu

Ingredients

• 2 lb thick cut pork belly, sliced into 1-inch cubes
• 2 green onion, chopped
• 4 slices ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 pieces rock sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp chinese five spice
• 2 bay leaves
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 0.25 cup shaoxing wine
• 0.25 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 dried chilis
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 0.25 tsp msg
• 4 black tea bags
• 4 boiled eggs (jammy, 7.5 min)

Instructions

1. Blanch pork belly in boiling water with 2 ginger slices and 1 chopped scallion for 1 minute; strain and set aside.
2. In a pot, melt rock sugar with a splash of water over low heat until caramelized and bubbly.
3. Add pork belly to the pot, coating thoroughly with the caramelized sugar until browned on all sides.
4. Stir in the Chinese five spice.
5. Steep 4 black tea bags in 2 cups of hot water on the side.
6. Deglaze the pot with Shaoxing wine, then add remaining ginger, garlic, scallions, bay leaves, black pepper, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, dried chilis, cinnamon, MSG, and star anise.
7. Pour in the prepared tea until the pork is covered; cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
8. Add the jammy boiled eggs to the pot and simmer for an additional 15 minutes to absorb the flavors and color.