Fermented Bean Curd Braised Pork (Absolutely Not Greasy)

Prepare the ingredients: clean and dry the pork belly, then cut into pieces. Slice the green onion and ginger. Break the cinnamon stick into a small piece for use.

Peel and wash the carrot and potato in advance.

Cut the potato and carrot into chunks (you can use other ingredients as long as they retain their shape during long cooking).

Heat the pan, add oil, and warm it to around 60-70% temperature.

Add the pork belly into the pan and stir continuously to avoid sticking (non-stick pans are much easier, but unfortunately, I don’t have one).

Keep stir-frying until all the pork pieces are well-separated and oil naturally renders out from the pork belly.

Remove some of the excess oil from the pan, leaving just a base amount.

Over low heat, add star anise and cinnamon stick, and stir-fry. Then add fermented bean curd and stir for a balanced flavor. Next, add 2 tbsp of cooking wine and 1 tbsp of soy sauce, and mix well.

Add green onion and ginger, stir briefly, then add the potato and carrot chunks, and mix well.

Mix until all the ingredients are coated with seasoning. Add water until just covering the meat. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Add 1 large spoonful of sugar.

Add a pinch of salt.

After bringing to a boil, reduce to low heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. I transferred to a clay pot for slow cooking to enhance the tenderness and flavor of the meat 😁.

While it's simmering, peel some quail eggs and toss them in 😏😏😏.

Continue simmering until the sauce has reduced by half or thickened. (I’ve never simmered it for the full 2 hours; usually, I finish in 1 hour.) Turn off the heat, plate it up, and enjoy! 😍😍😍