Braised Pork Belly with Dried Beancurd and Quail Eggs
My child has a particular fondness for braised pork belly. However, we don't eat a lot of meat at home, so every time I make braised pork belly, I add more ingredients, such as dried beancurd and quail eggs. Dried beancurd has a rich soybean aroma and a unique texture that other soy products don't have. It has a light yellow color, a shiny appearance, and is rich in protein and various nutrients. Quail eggs contain a full range of amino acids and abundant nutrients. They are also rich in high-quality phospholipids and other essential nutrients, such as iron, riboflavin, and vitamin A. When compared to chicken eggs of the same weight, quail eggs have nearly double the amount of these nutrients, while their cholesterol level is about one-third lower. Pork belly is naturally fatty. For today’s dish, I used only a small amount of oil, making it a healthier yet still incredibly delicious dish. Both my son and I love the dried beancurd in this dish; it’s soft and flavorful. Adding a few quail eggs makes it even more enjoyable~ You can also modify this dish your way. Add some quail eggs and dried beancurd to cook together. This way, the eggs taste better and absorb some of the oil.
Ingredients
Steps
Clean the pork belly and cut it into 3cm cubes. Fill a pot with enough water, add a tied green onion and half the sliced ginger and white scallion segments. Bring to a boil, add cooking wine, and blanch the pork belly. Set aside.
Soak the dried beancurd in cold water after cutting it into suitable pieces. Boil quail eggs, then peel them after they cool.
Fermented bean curd enhances the color and flavor. I've tested it many times and it's very successful.
Put the pork belly into the pan over high heat and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Once the fat renders, reduce the heat to low and stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes until the surface is golden brown and aromatic.
Add a small amount of rock sugar to the pan and stir until it caramelizes.
Once the sugar melts and small red bubbles appear, add a bowl of water to the pan and bring it to a boil.
Once the sugar melts and small red bubbles appear, add a bowl of water to the pan and bring it to a boil.
Add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, five-spice powder, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add ginger, scallions, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and cooking wine. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
After bringing to a boil, add a block of fermented bean curd, some of its juice, quail eggs, and dried beancurd. Cover and simmer on the lowest heat.
Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, the quail eggs are flavorful, and the pork belly is tender and rich. The dish is ready.
Reduce the sauce until mostly dry, then serve.
The next noon, I used the leftover braised pork belly to make a bowl of braised pork rice for my child. Adding some boiled kohlrabi made the sauce sweet and not greasy. Highly recommended.