HONG XIAO ROU RECIPES

Steps:

• Clean and cut the pork belly into cubes around 2 inches long.
• Boil a large pot of water, add cooking wine, 2 slices of ginger and 2 green onions, cook the pork belly for around 4 minutes. Transfer out and wash with warm water. Set aside and drain.
• Add green onion and ginger slices in a clay pot and pre-heat it on a stove.
• Then on another stove, heat up wok on medium fire; brush some oil on the bottom. Sautee the pork belly until the surface becomes slightly brown. Transfer the pork cubes to our pre-heat clay pot.
• Put the brown sugar in wok to stir fry until all the sugar melts and you can see large bubbles. Keep stirring during the process. Pour hot water to cover the pork cubes. Mix well!
• Transfer the sugar mixture to the clay pot with pork belly or return the pork belly into your wok. Add light soy sauce too.
• Bring all the content to a boiling and then lower the fire to simmer for around 45 minutes with the lid covered.
• Lift the lid and turn up the fire to thicken the sauce (around 15 minutes). Stop when you see the sauce is boiling strongly with large bubbles and almost thickened. Cool down a little bit and the sauce will fatherly thicken itself.
• Garnish some chopped green onion before serving.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pork and cook, skimming off foam from surface, 5 minutes (this blanching step gets rid of any impurities on the pork, making it more tender; don't skip this step!). Transfer pork to paper towels to drain.
• Wipe out pot. Heat 3 Tbsp. water in pot over medium-high. Add sugar, stir to dissolve, and cook, stirring constantly, until syrup thickens and turns a pale amber color, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and return pork to pot, swirling so all sides are covered in caramel. Add white and pale green parts of scallions, ginger, garlic, and star anise. Cook, tossing, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add soy sauce and wine and cook, stirring, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
• Pour in 3 cups water (it should just barely cover pork; add more if needed). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, 50–60 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a plate; remove pot from heat. Let sauce cooking liquid cool slightly so rendered fat can rise to the surface. Using a ladle, skim off as much fat as possible (save it for another use).
• Return pot to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, 12–15 minutes. Return pork to pot and toss to gently reheat and coat with sauce.
• Transfer pork to a platter. Pour sauce over. Top with dark green scallion parts and serve with rice alongside.