Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chinese Braised Pork Belly with Tea Brine (茶香南乳红烧肉)

By Souped Up Recipes · 120 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Cut the pork belly into 1.5-inch cubes, put it in a large stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Skim off the foam with a fine sieve, then lift the pork out and let it drain completely.
3. Prepare the garlic, ginger, scallion stalks, star anise and cinnamon stick before caramelizing the sugar.
4. Stir the pork in a wok over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until 1-2 tablespoons of fat has rendered out.
5. Remove the pork and leave the oil in the wok, then wipe away any residue left from the pork.
6. Add the sugar to the wok and stir over low heat for 3-4 minutes until caramelized.
7. As the caramel starts to foam, quickly add the garlic, ginger, scallions, star anise and cinnamon, and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
8. Return the pork to the wok, pour in the Chinese cooking wine along the side and stir until the alcohol evaporates.
9. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fermented bean curd and its juice, and stir until combined.
10. Transfer everything to a clay pot or heavy stock pot or Dutch oven.
11. Rinse the wok with 2-3 cups of water and add it to the pot, making sure everything is submerged, with the pork skin side down.
12. Simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours until tender, checking the liquid occasionally and adding hot water if it evaporates too fast.
13. Add two tea bags (or loose tea in a spice bag) five minutes before the pork finishes and simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes.
14. Taste the broth and remove the tea before it turns bitter, then discard the aromatics and spices.
15. Reduce the broth over high heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick and syrupy, without reducing too far so the pork does not dry out.

Summarized from Souped Up Recipes's video. Watch it for the details.

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