For this recipe, you’ll need the following components:
– Soy sauce: 5 tablespoons
– Hoisin sauce: 2 tablespoons
– Chinese five spice: 1 teaspoon
– Rice wine vinegar: 2 tablespoons
– Honey: 2 tablespoons
– Brown sugar: 1 tablespoon
– Grated ginger: 1 thumb-sized piece
– Grated garlic cloves: 2
– Sesame oil: 1 tablespoon
– Boneless pork belly (skin off): 600 grams
– Vegetable oil: 1 tablespoon
– Water: 120 millilitres
– Bok choi (base removed): 1 head
– Sliced red chilli: 1
– An extra dash of soy sauce
– Toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
– Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
– Steamed rice for serving
First, make the marinade. Merge the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, five spice, vinegar, honey, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil in a bowl. Stir these ingredients together until mixed well.
Then, place the pork belly in a large, flat dish, gently spoon 2-3 tablespoons of your marinade over it, making sure to coat the entire piece of pork. Wrap the dish with clingfilm and store it in the fridge for a full 8 hours. Save the leftover marinade in the fridge for later use.
After the 8-hour period, preheat a frying pan, then introduce the pork belly and vegetable oil. Each side should be cooked for two minutes on medium heat until gently browned, with one additional minute for the edges. Once finished, the pork belly should be removed from the pan.
Next, heat a pot and pour the remaining marinade and any meat juices from the frying pan. Bring this to a light simmer, stirring to melt the honey and sugar. Add the pork belly and water to the pot. As soon as your mix starts to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum, and cover your pot. Allow this to cook gently for two hours on low heat.
After a two-hour simmer, extract the pork belly from the pot and set it aside on a dish. Turn the heat up to medium on the stove, allowing the pot’s contents to reach a boil. Let the liquid diminish and thicken somewhat, reaching approximately half of its original volume. Then, reinsert the pork belly into the pot. For about 10 minutes, consistently pour thickened sauce over the pork, until the sauce has condensed into a syrup-like consistency. Once achieved, remove the pot from the stove and leave the pork to cool for a duration of 5-10 minutes.
Whilst the pork belly settles, place a non-stick frying pan on the hob. Heat some oil before adding the bok choi leaves and slithers of red chilli. Cook these on an intense heat for about two minutes, ensure that you regularly stir the contents. Season with a pinch of salt and a dash of soy sauce, before removing from the heat.
Transfer the now cooled pork onto a chopping board, continuing to baste with the reduced sauce. Sprinkling toasted sesame seeds and freshly cut coriander on top serves as garnish, after which the pork can be cut into generous portions. Serve alongside the sautéed bok choi, some steamed rice and the remaining sauce.