Slow-Cooked Red Braised Pork Belly
Description
Caramelized pork belly is braised in soy sauce and rice wine in a slow cooker until meltingly tender in this recipe for a Chinese specialty.
Ingredients
•
1 1/2 pounds pork belly, cut into bite-size pieces
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1/4 cup vegetable oil
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3 tablespoons brown sugar
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1/4 cup dark soy sauce
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1/4 cup Shaoxing rice wine
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1/4 cup light soy sauce
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4 scallions, halved
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4 slices fresh ginger
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4 star anise pods
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water to cover
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1/2 (8 ounce) package vegetarian chicken substitute, diced
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6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Directions
1
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add pork belly; cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain.
2
Heat vegetable oil and brown sugar in a wok or large skillet over medium heat until sugar is melted. Add pork; cook until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes. Add dark soy sauce; cook and stir until flavors combine, about 5 minutes.
3
Transfer pork mixture to a slow cooker. Add rice wine, light soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and star anise. Pour in enough water to just cover the pork.
4
Cook on Low until pork is tender, about 6 hours. Add diced chicken substitute, hard-boiled eggs, and more water to cover.
5
Cook on Low until eggs absorb cooking liquid, rotating halfway through, about 1 hour more.