Chinese Braise Pork Belly / Stew Pork

Serves 3 – 4
Ingredients
300 - 400 grams of pork belly, thickly sliced

Seasoning for pork belly:
2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
Pinch of grounded white pepper

2 tablespoons of cooking oil (*for sautéing of pork belly)

Ingredients for braising sauce "Lu Shui Zhi":
2 cups of water (about 500ml)
3 star anise
4 dried cloves aka Syzygium aromaticum
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of rice wine or *Mirin (Japanese rice wine, preferred)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Dash of grounded white pepper

Pinch of salt (Optional)

Method
1) Slice pork belly into chunks, rinse and season with the listed condiments. Marinate overnight , or at least 1 hour on the same day. Keep it in the refrigerator before use.

2) Heat wok with oil over medium-high fire. Pat dry marinated pork belly a little, using kitchen towel, to minimize the splashing of oil when place it into heated oil. Sauté pork belly on both sides till lightly browned. Remove from wok, wash and drain.

3) Place the pork belly into the croak pot, followed by adding of all listed ingredients of braising sauce. Braise it in slow cooker for at least 5 hours, or until pork belly turns soften.

4) Add some salt, if preferred.