Braised Five-Spice Pork Belly

Ingredients:

6½ cups cold water

4½ ounces sugarcane sugar or dark brown sugar

1 piece ginger, 1½ inches long, lightly smashed

4 scallions, trimmed, cut in half

3 cinnamon sticks, 3-inches long

4 pieces 8-star anise

10 cloves

¼ tsp anise seeds

½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns

2 to 2½ pounds pork belly

Usually cut into a piece 11x2½x2½ with 2 ribs attached, which should be left on.  Tie the meat around 4 times around its length to prevent the meat from falling apart during cooking

2/3 cup double dark soy sauce

2/3 cup Shao-Hsing wine, or sherry

Place water, sugar, ginger, scallions and five spices into a large pot.  Stir to blend, add pork belly.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  As it boils, add soy sauce and stir.  Return to a boil, add wine and mix.  Return again to a boil.  Lower heat, cover pot, leaving a slight opening at the lid and simmer for 4 hours.

As it simmers, turn the meat over 8 times, so that each of the 4 sides cooks through.  Turn off heat.  Close lid and allow meat to come to room temperature.  Refrigerate overnight.  This allows the meat to further absorb the spices.

To serve, remove meat from refrigerator.  Cut off string, remove ribs and discard.  Cut meat across into 1/3-inch slices and allow to come to room temperature.  Place slices in steamproof dish, ladle sauce over slices and steam for 10 or 12 minutes until very hot.  Serve immediately.

6½ cups cold water

4½ ounces sugarcane sugar or dark brown sugar

1 piece ginger, 1½ inches long, lightly smashed

4 scallions, trimmed, cut in half

3 cinnamon sticks, 3-inches long

4 pieces 8-star anise

10 cloves

¼ tsp anise seeds

½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns

2 to 2½ pounds pork belly

Usually cut into a piece 11x2½x2½ with 2 ribs attached, which should be left on.  Tie the meat around 4 times around its length to prevent the meat from falling apart during cooking

2/3 cup double dark soy sauce

2/3 cup Shao-Hsing wine, or sherry

Place water, sugar, ginger, scallions and five spices into a large pot.  Stir to blend, add pork belly.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  As it boils, add soy sauce and stir.  Return to a boil, add wine and mix.  Return again to a boil.  Lower heat, cover pot, leaving a slight opening at the lid and simmer for 4 hours.

As it simmers, turn the meat over 8 times, so that each of the 4 sides cooks through.  Turn off heat.  Close lid and allow meat to come to room temperature.  Refrigerate overnight.  This allows the meat to further absorb the spices.

To serve, remove meat from refrigerator.  Cut off string, remove ribs and discard.  Cut meat across into 1/3-inch slices and allow to come to room temperature.  Place slices in steamproof dish, ladle sauce over slices and steam for 10 or 12 minutes until very hot.  Serve immediately.