Braised Pork Belly/Ribs with Preserved Vegetables (Foolproof for Beginners)
A no-water-added braised pork belly dish, taught by my mother-in-law. The same recipe can be used to make braised pork belly or braised ribs. Using only pork belly creates a braised pork belly dish. For braised ribs, you need to add a few pieces of pork belly or fatty meat since this recipe doesn't require any water. The fat from the meat enhances the flavor of the ribs.
Ingredients
Steps
Add a tablespoon of flour and some salt to the meat, soak for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. (Flour helps to clean blood and remove the odor.)
Cut the meat into pieces
Place the meat in cold water, add ginger slices and cooking wine, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and then cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Rinse the parboiled meat with clean water to remove the foam, and drain.
Heat a pan, add the prepared meat along with star anise, cinnamon stick, and ginger slices, and stir-fry. (If using ribs as the main ingredient, add oil before cooking to prevent sticking. If using pork belly, there's no need to add extra oil.)
Stir-fry on low heat until the moisture evaporates and the meat turns slightly golden as shown in the picture. Remove and set aside.
Heat a pan with a small amount of oil, add the rock sugar to caramelize (cook until the sugar melts and forms small bubbling syrup). Add an appropriate amount of dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Toss in the previously stir-fried meat and mix well until coated in the caramelized sugar.
Season with an appropriate amount of salt and chicken bouillon.
Add the preserved vegetables, stir evenly, and then transfer the mixture to a large bowl and place it in a pressure cooker. Braise without adding water for 25 minutes. (The preserved vegetables I use are pre-processed ones from Jiangxi province, ready to cook directly.)
Without adding any water, braise in a conventional pressure cooker for 25 minutes. For an electric pressure cooker, use the beef and lamb setting to ensure the meat is tender. It's so simple that even beginners can try it. Super easy!