Braised Pork Belly - Lao Heng He Cooking Wine Version

Prepare all ingredients. If the rock sugar is in large chunks, place it in a sealed bag and crush it with a kitchen knife.

Cut the pork belly into mahjong-sized cubes and rinse thoroughly.

Place the pork belly in a clean large bowl and add one spoon of Lao Heng He cooking wine.

Add cold water and soak for about 15 minutes. Cooking wine in the water helps the meat fibers absorb it, effectively removing the smell of raw meat. Drain after soaking and set aside.

Heat the wok and add a small amount of oil. On low heat, stir-fry ginger slices, green onion segments, dried tangerine peel, and star anise until fragrant.

Once the spices are fragrant, add the pork belly and stir-fry. Keep the heat low and stir-fry slowly, letting the fat render out of the pork belly, so it won't taste greasy when eaten. Remove and set aside after stir-frying.

Clean the wok and dry it, then add a small amount of oil and the crushed rock sugar. Caramelize over low heat while stirring continuously. Use a spatula to lightly tap on the rock sugar pieces, and be careful not to overcook. Stop caramelizing once the rock sugar has melted, to avoid it getting bitter.

Add the previously stir-fried pork belly and quickly stir-fry.

Add one spoon of dark soy sauce for color and 2-3 spoons of light soy sauce for flavor.

Add 2-3 spoons of Lao Heng He spiced cooking wine.

Pour in hot water until it covers the pork belly by 3cm, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour.

Once the sauce thickens, increase the heat to reduce it further. Usually, no additional salt is needed if light soy sauce is used; however, if the dish tastes bland, a pinch of salt can be added before serving.