Servings |
4 people |
Cook Time |
2hrs 15mins |
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Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 600g pork belly pieces
- 300 ml Tsingtao Beer
- 300 ml hot water (or enough to cover the pork)
The Sauce
- 1 cube fermented red tofu, plus 1 tablespoon of fermented tofu liquid
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
Instructions
Preparation
- For the sauce, put the fermented tofu and liquid into a small bowl or ramekin and crush it with the base of a teaspoon to form a paste, then mix together with the dark soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar and sesame oil.
- Hard-boil the eggs and then peel them. Once peeled, cut three small lines vertically into each egg while keeping them whole (this allows the sauce to soak through the eggs while they are braising).
- Finely chop the garlic and set it aside.
Cooking
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until lightly browned. Add the sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the pork belly piece to the pan and sear on all sides, ensuring the skin is well-sealed and golden brown.
- Once seared, add the pork to the saucepan skin-side down and baste well with the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook, continuing to baste as you do so, for 5–6 minutes. The sauce should caramelise, reduce and cling to the pork during this process.
- Once the sauce is thick and coating the meat well, add the beer and boil for 10 minutes, then pour over enough hot water to cover it completely. Stir everything together well, cover with a lid and leave to simmer over a low heat for 1½ hours, turning the pork occasionally, until it is soft, succulent and full of colour.
- Remove the lid, add the eggs to the braising liquid and continue simmering for a further 30 minutes, turning the eggs every 10 minutes to ensure they absorb the sauce evenly. Arrange on a large platter and serve.