Cooking Therapy

Pork belly is just better bacon! There, I said it, and with that being said, this recipe below accentuates the essence of the pork belly. It becomes crispy, sweet, spicy, and melts in your mouth leaving behind a trail of flavor. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1.5 hours in wok or Dutch oven; 30-40 min in pressure cooker

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 pounds of pork belly, cut into 1-inch chunks

¼ cup sugar

1 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Chili paste

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Vegetable or canola oil

3 one-inch pieces of ginger

2 star anise

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

Salt

Black pepper

Sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

• You can use either a wok or a Dutch oven to prepare this dish by slow braising it; or use a pressure cooker to save time.
• Blanch the pork belly to remove any impurities. Add the pork belly pieces and some ginger to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and once it starts boiling, bring to a simmer. Do not let the belly cook. Drain the water and rinse the pork belly and set it aside
• In your wok or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of oil on low and add the sugar. Melt the sugar until it begins to caramelize. Do not let it burn or completely melt down
• Add the pork belly and ginger and turn the heat on medium, cooking until the pork is browned and coated in the caramel, stirring occasionally to get an even sear. Season it with the chili flakes, salt and pepper, and stir
• Then add the water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, sesame oil, and the star anise, making sure the meat is about three quarters of the way submerged and give it a stir. Cover it and cook it on a medium low heat for about an hour, or until the meat is fork tender and the liquids have reduced and thickened into a sauce. If you are using a pressure cooker, cover it and cook on medium for about 30-40 minutes

• While the pork belly is cooking, prepare the rice
• Once the rice and pork belly are cooked, it’s time to serve the dish. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and, if you’d like, thinly chop some scallions and sprinkle on top
• Serve and enjoy!