Braised red pork
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Braised red pork
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Ching-He Huang
Ching-He Huang
Ingredients
- 1 x 600g pack pork belly slices
- 2 tbsp rapeseed or groundnut oil
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 3 star anise
- 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 whole dried chillies or ½-1 tsp crushed dried chilli flakes (to taste)
- 250ml chicken stock
- 80ml dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp light brown soft sugar
Step by step
Boil the pork the day before; cool, cover and chill. Leftovers can be frozen; add a little water when reheating.
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Bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil. Add the pork belly slices, cover and cook uncovered on a medium heat for 30 minutes, gently simmering. Remove, drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper. Slice the pork belly into 2cm x 2cm square pieces.
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Heat the oil in a wok or pan over medium heat. Add the pork pieces and brown for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook on a medium heat for 30-35 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened slightly to a shiny glossy reddish-brown.
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Remove from the heat, serve with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried greens of your choice, with the sauce drizzled over. (For a smooth sauce, you can strain it through a sieve and discard the whole spices – or you can eat around them like the Chinese do!).
Ching-He Huang’s latest book is Stir Crazy (Kyle Books, £19.99). chinghehuang.com
