Grandma's Traditional Braised Pork Belly by Lillychilioil

Ingredients

• 3 lbs pork belly, cut into 1.5-inch uniform cubes
• 1/4 cup rock sugar
• 4 large slices ginger
• 6 stalks green onion, whites separated
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4 cup shaoxing wine (plus 2 tbsp for braising)
• 2 tsp chinese black vinegar
• 10 cup water (for blanching)

Instructions

1. Place pork belly in a pot of cold water with 4 ginger slices, 1 stalk of green onion, and 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine; bring to a boil for 5 minutes to remove impurities, then drain and pat dry.
2. Render the pork belly fat in a pan over medium heat until golden brown, then remove the meat and set aside, keeping the rendered fat in the pan.
3. Add rock sugar to the rendered fat over low heat, stirring constantly until it melts and turns into a deep amber caramel.
4. Return the pork belly to the pan, tossing to coat evenly in the caramel until a beautiful brown glaze forms.
5. Add the dry aromatics (bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon), green onion whites, and ginger slices to the pot.
6. Pour in enough boiling water (or lager beer) to just cover the meat, then stir in soy sauce, dark soy, additional Shaoxing wine, and black vinegar.
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45-60 minutes until the meat is tender.
8. Remove the aromatics, skim off excess surface oil, and increase heat to high for 5-10 minutes to reduce the sauce until it is thick, glossy, and red.