Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork Belly ~ 毛主席红烧猪肉

If you like pork belly which is savoury and a bit spicy, this is the recipe for you.  This is a Hunan cuisine and as the name implies, it was Chairman Mao's favourite dish.  This is indeed a very flavourful dish and my family members enjoyed it very much.  Will definitely make this again.

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork Belly  ~   毛主席红烧猪肉 (recipe from 'here')
Ingredients

• 600 gm pork belly, cut into bite size
• 3 slices ginger
• 20 gm piece sugar (or you can use sugar)
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 spring onion (white part)
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 piece cinnamon
• 2 star anise
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 dried chillies (hydrated)
• 3 cups water or more to submerge the pork belly
• 1/2 tsp sugar to add once the pork is cooked

Method

1. Blanch the pork  belly in hot water, drain and rinse, set aside.
2. Add oil in a wok and caramalise the piece sugar till melted.
3. Add the ginger, pork and the white part of spring onion, stir fry.
4. Add wine, sauces, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves,dried chillies and water.  Cook on medium heat, let it simmer and cover with the lid.
5. Cook till the pork belly is tender and consistency of sauce to your liking.
6. Add in 1/2 tsp of sugar, mix well.  Fine tune to taste.
7. Dish out and serve with a sprinkling of spring onions