Braised Pork Belly & Eggs in Soya Sauce
Cook up this wholesome Chinese dish of tenderlicious pork belly slices and whole-cooked eggs braised in flavoured soy sauce, in just a few easy steps! This delicious, pull-apart tender pork belly makes the perfect accompaniment to steamed rice, piping hot porridge, and even as meat stuffing for plain buns. (Source: 'The Best of Chinese Cooking' by Betty Yew)
Ingredients
- 600 g pork belly
- 2 whole pods of garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp light soya sauce
- 2 tbsp thick dark soya sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon bark
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
- 2 ½ cups water or more as needed
- 6 hard-boiled eggs shelled
Instructions
- Slice pork belly into 2 x 5 cm (3/4 x 2-inch) pieces. Rinse garlic cloves, with peels left on, and crush lightly.
- Heat up a heavy-bottomed pot or pan (do not add oil) over medium heat until hot. Put in the pork slices and stir-fry for a few minutes. When the fat oozes out, grease the pot or pan with it by stirring the pork slices around the base. Add garlic cloves and toss for a few minutes or until fragrant.
- Reduce heat slightly, stir in the light soya sauce, thick dark soya sauce, sugar, salt, star anise and cinnamon bark. Stir-fry quickly to mix well until pork slices are evenly coated all over.
- Add in the five-spice powder and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat until braising sauce is gently simmering. Cover the pot or pan with a lid, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the eggs and continue to simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes, or until meat is tender (add a little hot water if braising sauce has reduced too quickly). Allow braising sauce to reduce to a glaze-like consistency, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. As the braising sauce reduces, the flavours will intensify, so do a taste test. Add more sugar or salt, depending on whether you like the sauce more sweet or more salty. Best served hot with sauce, spooned over cooked rice, noodles or alongside porridge.
Notes
- This dish can be prepared with chicken. Frying the pork (or chicken) in a greaseless pot or pan reduces water content and accentuates the aroma of the dish.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 389kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 271mg, Sodium: 596mg, Sugar: 4g
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