Mao-style Braised Pork \\u003c302 Kitchen\\u003e
The color of Mao-style braised pork is primarily achieved by caramelizing sugar, without the need for light or dark soy sauce. If you want a reddish tint, you can consider adding fermented red bean curd sauce, but it's recommended to try the original flavor. The aroma of the meat mainly relies on a complex combination of various spices. The caramelization process uses a lot of white sugar, but the resulting caramel is not sweet, so there's no need to worry.
Ingredients
Steps
Ingredients overview
Braised pork doesn't necessarily have to use pork belly. If your family prefers less fatty cuts, you can opt for other parts.
Here are the spices. If you don't have Amomum tsaoko or Galangal at home, you can skip them; the others are common household spices.
Cut the pork belly into large chunks for a more satisfying bite.
Place the cut pork belly in cold water and bring to a boil.
Remove the foam from the boiling water.
Stop when there are no more heavy foam residues.
Drain the pork while it's still hot and set aside.
The following step involves frying, so be cautious. You may skip frying if preferred. Heat a pot of oil (use more oil for better results). Alternatively, you can fry the pork belly in batches to save oil. Once the oil is hot, add the drained pork belly.
Stir occasionally. Be careful of oil splatter!!!
Once the pork belly is fried and forms a crust, it will hold its shape better during cooking. Fry until the surface turns slightly golden.
Drain the oil from the fried pork belly and set aside.
Next, we'll make the caramel. Add a little water to the pan, followed by white sugar or rock sugar (you can make it without water, but water is easier for beginners).
Bring the water to a boil and reduce to medium heat. As the water evaporates, the sugar will begin to melt.
Ignore the bubbles—just watch the color change.
When the caramel turns golden yellow, pay close attention.
Once it turns dark amber, it's ready.
Immediately add the pork belly and stir quickly.
Add boiling water.
Add the spices, scallions, and ginger chunks.
Add cooking wine (ensure there's not too much water, as reducing the sauce later will take longer).
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even flavor.
After 40 minutes, add salt to taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
If the flavor is satisfactory, increase the heat to reduce the sauce. Remember to remove the scallions and ginger beforehand.
As the sauce thickens, gently turn the pork to coat it evenly.
Once the sauce is fully reduced, the braised pork is ready to serve. Now for the plating steps.
Find a bowl and arrange the pork with the skin facing down.
Fill the bowl entirely. You can optionally place cooked dried green beans or more pork in the center to stabilize the dish when flipped.
Flip the bowl onto a plate. Gently press and let it settle momentarily before lifting the bowl.
Doesn't it look like a must-have for festive seasons?
Rich, tender, and flavorful!