Finished dish photo of My Home-Style Braised Pork: Oil-Free, Spice-Free, No Blanching, No Caramelizing

My Home-Style Braised Pork: Oil-Free, Spice-Free, No Blanching, No Caramelizing

The braised pork I grew up eating never involved caramelizing sugar or adding spices. Hu Yang soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and rock sugar are the essentials. The soul of a morning veggie rice dish is a piece of overnight fried tofu braised pork jelly. Craving it? Start cooking!

Time:30~60 minutes
Difficulty:Easy

Ingredients

Pork belly with skin300g
Fried tofu200g
Shaoxing wine5 tablespoons
Light soy sauce3 tablespoons
Dark soy sauce1 tablespoon
Yellow rock sugar2 tablespoons
Hot waterAs needed

Steps

1

Wash the pork belly and cut into Mahjong-sized pieces. Wash the fried tofu and set aside.

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2

Heat the pan without adding oil; directly add the pork belly, spreading it out as evenly as possible.

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3

Pan-fry on medium-low heat until fat is rendered, then flip the pieces over.

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4

Cook until both sides are slightly golden and crispy.

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5

Add the fried tofu and stir-fry briefly.

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6

Add Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and crushed rock sugar. Add enough hot water to cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 30–50 minutes.

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7

Increase to high heat near the end to slightly reduce the sauce. Ready to serve!

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8

Take a bite of fried tofu and taste the rich sauce coming through!

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9

The braised pork needs to simmer longer to become more tender.

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10

Sprinkle some chopped green onions for extra aroma~

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Cooking Tips

1. Do not add cold water, as the sudden temperature change will harden the meat. 2. For soy sauce selection, light soy sauce adds flavor, while dark soy sauce adds color. Specialized braising soy sauce works too. My mom used to use Hu Yang soy sauce. 3. The amounts of seasonings are for reference; adjust as needed. I added a lot of Shaoxing wine, but avoid adding too much dark soy sauce—it will turn black and bitter. 4. It’s best to use Shaoxing yellow rice wine, Hua Diao wine, or Jia Fan rice wine, which I commonly use. Cooking wine lacks the same rich aroma.