Saucy Braised Pork Belly

Ingredients

1 skin-on pork belly*, thawed 1.6 to 2 kg 2 tbsp canola oil 30 mL 1 tbsp Chinese 5 spice seasoning 15 mL 1/4 cup sugar 60 mL 1/2 cup shaoxing cooking wine (or similar Asian-style rice wine) 125 mL 1/4 cup dark soy sauce 60 mL 1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce 60 mL 6 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly crushed 1 knob thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced 2 in./5 cm 1 carton Compliments Organic Chicken Broth Low Sodium 900 mL 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, for garnish 125 mL

Nutrition

Per serving (1/8 of the recipe):
Calories: 520
Fat: 41 g
Saturated Fat: 13 g
Carbs: 12 g
Sugar: 7 g
Cholesterol: 80 mg
Protein: 14 g
Sodium: 1320 mg

Step 1

Cut pork belly into 3/4 in. (2 cm) cubes, slicing through the skin, fat and meat. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Working in batches, blanch the pork belly cubes 2 to 3 min., until the pork turns lighter-coloured and opaque. Transfer blanched pork into a colander. Rinse with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels; set aside.

Step 2

Heat the canola oil in a large pot (with lid) over medium heat. Lightly brown the pork belly cubes on all sides. Reduce the heat to low, add the 5 spice and sugar, stirring to coat evenly. Cook 2 to 3 min. to lightly brown the sugar. Stir in the cooking wine and soy sauces to coat the pork. Add the garlic, ginger and broth to the pot. Cover and gently simmer for 1 hr., or until pork belly is fork tender. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

Step 3

Remove the lid. Increase heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce reduces to a glistening coating on the pork belly.

Saucy Braised Pork Belly