Rich but Not Greasy Red-Braised Pork with Carrots [Dorm Style]
Each bite of pork belly melts in your mouth, rich but not greasy, fresh and fragrant, with an incredible sense of satisfaction. Tired of stir-fried rice? Try a newly made plate of red-braised pork to switch things up. Carrots are optional, as eating just meat feels a bit luxurious to me. Haha, better add some veggies. Braising mushrooms, potatoes, or carrots — all taste great. The flavor is amazing! The dorm supervisor nearly brought their rice bowl over…
Ingredients
Steps
Cut the pork into approximately 3 cm cubes. It will shrink when cooked, so cut it slightly bigger. Slice garlic, ginger, and green onions into 4 cm sections.
In cold water, add the cut pork, 3 slices of ginger, the white part of green onions, and 2 spoons of cooking wine. Soak for 2 minutes, then bring to boil. Skim foam for 3 minutes and drain.
Cut carrots into chunks diagonally for easier cooking.
Prepare the spices as pictured.
Heat oil to 70%. Add all the spices, then the green onion sections a little later. Stir-fry until fragrant, then remove and set aside.
Remove the spices and place them in a bag for later use.
There’s a missing photo here. After removing the spices, add the drained pork pieces and stir-fry until the surface turns golden. Do not overcook, as lean meat tends to become dry.
Do not leave oil in the pot. Add a small amount of hot water and rock sugar (or regular sugar as a substitute). This method works best for caramelizing sugar.
Boil on high heat to evaporate water. As large bubbles form, reduce heat and continue.
Large bubbles become small, and smaller ones become finer. Add the pork, stirring until the caramel coats it evenly. Done.
Add boiling water, 3 spoons of light soy sauce, 2 spoons of dark soy sauce, and 2 spoons of cooking wine. Add carrots and the spice bag. Boil on high for 5 minutes, then remove the spice bag. Lower the heat and simmer.
??? What happened? I just sharpened a knife for a moment! Poor me.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes, add salt to taste. Increase the heat to reduce the sauce until thickened, then serve! You can skip reducing the sauce if you prefer. It’s up to you.
Plate the dish. Whether it tastes good or not, you decide!