Finished dish photo of Braised Pork Belly with Potatoes

Braised Pork Belly with Potatoes

Pay close attention! The pork needs to be cooked until soft and tender, which typically takes about 30 to 40 minutes, before adding the potatoes. Otherwise, if inexperienced cooks add the potatoes too early, they'll end up overcooked. Please follow each step's written instructions carefully, as there's little time to take pictures during cooking. Thank you for understanding.

Ingredients

Pork Belly500g
Bay Leaves3 pieces
SaltTo taste
Potatoes3
Star Anise3
Shredded GingerTo taste
Soy SauceTo taste
Oyster SauceTo taste
SugarTo taste
Garlic5 cloves
Cooking WineTo taste

Steps

1

Scorch the skin of the pork belly.

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2

Cut the pork belly into a few large sections for easier dicing later.

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3

Wash the pork belly and dice it. Prepare shredded ginger, star anise, garlic, and bay leaves.

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4

Wash the pork belly and dice it. This is the second attempt with the same ingredients as before!

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5

Heat the pan with a little oil and stir-fry the diced pork belly to release the fat! Use medium-low heat to avoid oil splatter. If you don't like excess grease, stir-fry longer to make it drier and less oily.

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6

After extracting the fat, add Pixian Douban Sauce, ginger, garlic, star anise, and bay leaves. Sauté until fragrant and add a dash of cooking wine to remove any gamey taste. Add light soy sauce for color. If it's not deep enough, add a tiny amount of dark soy sauce carefully. Be cautious not to overdo it, as too much will make the color overly dark and unappealing. Next, add salt and sugar! For those experienced in the kitchen, I won't spell out every detail. Adjust seasoning and heat based on your intuition and judgment. After adding all the seasonings, add water to simmer the pork until tender. Add enough water because it might take around 30 to 40 minutes. 😘 ⭕ Once the pork is tender, add the potatoes and continue cooking until they can be pierced with chopsticks. Then it's ready to serve.

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7

Plate up and serve! It may not look pretty, but it tastes great! The potatoes pair perfectly with rice, and the dish is rich but not greasy—a great meat dish choice for you.

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Cooking Tips

Cook the pork until tender before adding the potatoes. Please note this! Experienced cooks should have a good sense of timing and seasoning ratios. There shouldn't be a situation where you are completely clueless, right?