Braised pork belly can be eaten with many things such as white rice, pickled onions, pickled bean sprouts, but perhaps most commonly it’s served with pickled mustard greens. The salty, sweet, and rich flavors of the braised pork belly combine with the sour and slightly spicy taste of the pickled mustard greens, creating an unexpectedly captivating flavor. Braised pork belly is not a new dish, but making a delicious pot of braised pork belly is not simple.

Ingredients for braised pork belly:

– 500g pork leg or pork belly (choose meat with thin skin for better flavor and faster softening)

– 10 duck eggs (or chicken eggs)

– 1 fresh coconut

– Good quality fish sauce

– Sugar, salt, pepper

– Onion

How to make braised pork:

– Marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour with good quality fish sauce, sugar, a little salt and pepper, onion, and garlic to allow the meat to absorb the seasoning. Note that the pork should be cut into large, square pieces and thoroughly drained before marinating.

– Stir-fry the pork until it is firm, then pour in coconut water to cover the meat. Initially, turn the heat up high to bring to a boil and skim off the foam. Then, reduce the heat to low so the meat gradually softens and the coconut water turns a golden brown color. To keep the broth clear and beautiful, do not cover the pot while cooking.

– When the meat is slightly tender, add the boiled duck eggs (or chicken or quail eggs), peeled, to the stew. Don’t add the eggs too early; stewing them for too long will make them tough, brown, and unappetizing.

– Adjust the seasoning to taste. Usually, the broth already has a natural sweetness from the coconut water, so adding just a little fish sauce will make the stew flavorful.

Notes when cooking braised pork:

– Choose pork leg with both lean and fatty meat and skin for a tender and visually appealing result. Ideally, the fat and meat ratio should be equal, but if you’re worried about fat, you can buy a piece with more lean meat.

– Marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour with good quality fish sauce, sugar, a little salt, and seasoning powder to allow the meat to absorb the flavors. Crushed onions and garlic enhance the aroma, but if you’re braising it for later, don’t add these two ingredients.

– Sauté the pork until it’s firm before adding coconut water to cover it. Initially, turn the heat up high to bring to a boil and skim off the foam. Then, reduce the heat to low to allow the meat to soften and the coconut water to turn a golden brown color. To keep the broth clear and beautiful, do not cover the pot while cooking.

– If the coconut water dries up, add more boiling water. Don’t overcook with coconut water; the broth will become too dark and unappealing.

– To keep your braised pork belly delicious for several days, divide the pot into several portions and freeze them. Whenever you want to eat it, take out one container at a time and reheat it. This way, the meat and eggs won’t become tough from being reheated too many times.

According to vaobepnauan.com