Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)

I wish to move the Shanghai immediately and eat this every day. So tender but caramelised. Hardly any ingredients too.

Ingredients

• 400g lean, skin-on pork belly

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• ½ tbsp dark soy sauce

• 2 cups water

Instructions

1. Cut your pork belly into 3/4 inch thick pieces.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the pork belly pieces for a couple minutes.

3. Take the pork out of the pot, rinse, and set aside.

4. Over low heat, add the oil and sugar to your wok.

5. Melt the sugar slightly and add the pork.

6. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the pork is lightly browned.

7. Turn the heat back down to low and add shaoxing cooking wine, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce and water.

8. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until pork is tender. Stir regularly and add more water if it gets too dry.

9. Once the pork is tender, if there is still a lot of visible liquid, uncover the wok, turn up the heat, and stir continuously until the sauce has reduced and the sugar caramelises to coat the pork.