Braised Pork Belly with Steamed Eggs
Rich yet not greasy braised pork belly. Actually, I love the steamed eggs inside even more. This time, I used an enamel pot, keeping the heat on medium-low throughout. In just half an hour, everything becomes tender and soft. This enamel pot from Buydeem has a white enamel coating, so it offers good non-stick performance. If you're using a black enamel pot, you must properly prepare it before use, or it will stick and char! Remember, very important!
Ingredients
Steps
Start by boiling the eggs. Adjust the number of eggs based on preference. Place room-temperature eggs in water as it approaches a boil to prevent cracking.
After boiling on medium-high heat for seven minutes, transfer the eggs into cold water. This makes peeling easier!
Once cooled slightly, peel off the eggshells and set aside.
Cut the pork belly into small pieces—not too large, or it won't cook evenly.
Start with cold water in the pot. Add ginger slices to remove the pork smell, and blanch to remove blood residue. Don't use boiling water at this step, as it will cook the outer layer quickly and trap the blood inside.
Once the water boils, skim off the foam.
Discard the water and rinse the pork with hot water. Using hot water here prevents the meat from contracting, which would make it tough.
Arrange the pork neatly in the enamel pot. Add 10g of vegetable oil. Since the pork still has some water residue at this point, frying it without oil would cause it to stick. I've used a pound of pork belly, just enough to cover the bottom.
Fry on medium-low heat until the edges are slightly golden. The pork belly will also release some fat.
Pour in Hua Diao wine. This will remove the porky smell and help the meat become more tender during stewing.
Add all the remaining ingredients. The rock sugar here is just for a nice caramelized color; it won't make the dish overly sweet. Score the boiled eggs slightly to help them absorb the flavors.
Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce to medium-low and cover with the lid. Simmer for about half an hour, and finally, uncover to stir.
Once the liquid has reduced to this level, turn off the heat. Most of the remaining liquid will be rendered pork fat. If you keep cooking, you'll end up with dry, tough pieces of pork!
Plate the dish and sprinkle with white sesame seeds for garnish. A delicious, rich yet not greasy Braised Pork Belly with Steamed Eggs is ready! You can even use the leftover fat in the enamel pot to toss with noodles!