Hunan Cuisine: Tiger-skin Steamed Pork

Tiger-skin Steamed Pork

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop

1-lb 10-oz pork belly, with skin, in one piece
1 Tbsp sweet fermented glutinous rice wine, or Shaoxing wine
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2.5 Tbsp black fermented beans, rinsed
2 cups Peanut oil for frying

Boil the pork belly for 8-10 minutes until nearly cooked.  Remove and pat dry.

Heat the oil to 350F.  Dry the prok bellow skin side down for about 3 minutes, until skin is a rich, dark red-brown.

Remove pork from the oil and return to original cooking water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until skin is puckered all over (the "tiger skin" effect).  Draink and coool slightly.

Cut the pork into 1/2-inch slices.  Layer the slides over a heatproof bowl, makeing sure each piece of skin is in contact with the bowl.  Put any ragged bits of meat on top.  Scatter the salt, soy sauces, and black beans, over the meat and place in steamer.

Steam the meat for at least 30 minutes, or as long as possible, preferrably 1.5 hours.  To serve, flip the bowl over the serving dish.