Finished dish photo of Braised Pork

Braised Pork

I used to make braised pork because my father-in-law loved it, but now I make it because my daughter enjoys it. Every time, I prepare two portions and have my child bring a bowl to grandpa. Although the elderly shouldn't eat greasy food, this tender and melt-in-your-mouth braised pork is something they crave if they don't have it for a while. Lately, meat has gotten a bit expensive, but that doesn't stop us—we still buy it when we need to! Two months ago, a slab of pork belly cost only about 15 yuan, but today at the supermarket, the same size of pre-cut pork belly was 45 yuan. Worried it wouldn't be enough, I also bought some quail eggs and potatoes 🥔. Stewing them together makes the dish less greasy, as the potatoes 🥔 and quail eggs absorb the fat from the pork belly, making the potatoes more flavorful and tender.

Ingredients

Pork Belly 850g
Rock Sugar2 pieces
Dark Soy Sauce 1/5spoon
Bay Leaves 3slices
Star Anise 2pieces
Light Soy Sauce 1spoon
Ginger 6slices
Cinnamon 1piece
Cooking Wine 1spoon
Quail Eggs20
Potato 1to taste
White Sugar 1 large spoonto taste
Salt to tasteto taste
Pixian Bean Paste 2 spoonsto taste

Steps

1

Wash and cut the purchased pork belly into chunks.

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2

Boil in cold water with cooking wine and ginger slices to remove the gamey taste. Boil for about 5 minutes, then remove and drain.

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3

Drain and set aside.

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4

Heat oil in a wok, add a handful of white sugar, and stir-fry over low heat until the sugar turns brown and bubbly.

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5

Add the pork belly to the caramelized mixture to coat it with color.

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6

Pre-prepared ingredients.

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7

Add scallions, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaves to stir-fry until fragrant. Add two spoons of Pixian bean paste to stir-fry until the oil turns red. Add cooking wine, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce, then pour in 3 large bowls of boiling water and simmer over medium heat.

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8

Wash the quail eggs, boil in cold water for 5 minutes, then soak in cold water to make peeling easier.

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9

Peel and cut one potato 🥔 into chunks, then soak in water to remove excess starch.

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10

After simmering for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, add the potatoes and peeled quail eggs. Simmer for another 10 minutes or more, then season with salt and pepper before serving.

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11

For the pork to be tender and flavorful, it must be simmered for at least 40 minutes.

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12

Looks very appetizing.

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13

The potatoes are also very tender.

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14

Time to eat!

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Cooking Tips

Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 40 minutes; otherwise, the texture won't be tender enough.