Braised Pork Belly is spiced with ginger, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, white pepper and slow-cooked with Chinese wine, sugar and two kinds of soy sauce. The result is luscious, melt-in-your-mouth morsels of pork that will have everyone going for seconds.
about braised pork belly
Originally from Fujian, China until immigrants brought it to Taiwan, variations of this braised pork belly can now be found on the dining tables of many homes across Singapore and Malaysia.
My mum often cooked this easy dish for the family. Also known as Babi Tau Yu or Tau Yu Bak, it is popular not only in Peranakan homes, but in Eurasian households like ours too.
For a quick language lesson, babi means pork in Malay. However it is a word more commonly used by Peranakans as pork is not halal or permissible in Malay cuisine.
Tau Yu is Hokkien for light soy sauce, the main ingredient in this delicious dish, while bak is pork.
Other kinds of braised pork belly dishes
In nyonya cuisine there is a similar dish called, Babi Pongteh. However, the addition of fermented soybeans and Chinese mushrooms gives Babi Pongteh an earthier flavour.
Both are easy to make but require some patience. You would need to babysit a covered pot for about 2 hours, simmer on low heat until the pork belly is tender, stir periodically and top up more liquids if things start to dry up. Once it is fall-apart tender, the next step is to reduce the sauce to thicken it. It’s a process and well worth the effort.
However with an Instant Pot, life gets easier!
Why use an Instant Pot?
Cooking braised pork belly in an Instant Pot not only cuts down the cooking time by more than half, it ensures perfect results every time.
The best part about it is you can just dump everything in the pot and go about your business. No need to monitor the pot or worry about anything burning at the bottom.
A slow cooker would do the job just as well in 4 hours. However, once done you would have to transfer the contents into a pot to simmer and reduce the sauce over the fire.
I’ve also seen it being slow cooked for 2 hours in a rice cooker, although I’ve not tried it myself. Choose whichever method suits the equipment you have at hand to use.
My weapon of choice is undoubtedly my brand new Instant Pot Duo Crisp XL 8Qt 11-in-1 Air Fryer & Electric Pressure Cooker Combo.
about the ingredients
PORK BELLY
Braised pork belly isn’t a low-calorie dish because of the amount of fat in pork belly. You could certainly replace it with a leaner cut like pork shoulder. You can also just mix it in with the porkbelly to offset the richness with meatier chunks of pork.
My mum would insist that some amount of fat be present in this dish because of what it adds to the sauce. When the pork belly is cooked down, it lends a sticky richness to the gravy which is what makes this dish so addictive.
For a more heart-healthy option, replace with a leaner cut if you like. The other option is to skim off as much oil from the surface as possible once the pork fat has rendered out.
If you have more time, allow the gravy to cool and then refrigerate. This will solidify the fat at the top and make it easier to remove. Before returning it to the stove for the last few steps to finish the dish.
SIZE OF THE MEAT
As braised pork belly requires slow cooking (or pressure cooking if using the Instant Pot), be sure to get thick slabs of pork belly, instead of pre-cut pieces. You can easily cut up the pork slab to more bite-sized pieces once it has softened (see video for instructions). Braised pork belly is a popular street food in Taiwan and the pork belly is usually served minced up.
AROMATICS
The sweet, woodiness of cinnamon, cloves and star anise are what give this dish its distinctive flavour. You could also add white peppercorn and cardamom. I used ground white pepper instead and you can add as much or as little as you like.
The holy trinity of ginger, red onion (or shallots) and garlic are a must-have in Chinese cuisine and this dish is no exception. Be especially generous with the ginger and garlic!
Sesame oil is optional as there is enough fat in this dish to begin with. But it does add a bit of its fragrant nuttiness.
Bottled five-spice powder is a mixture of cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise and cloves. The fifth spice can be either ginger, white pepper or Sichuan peppercorns. This seasoning is predominantly used in Chinese cooking, but can also be found in Hawaiian and Vietnamese cuisine.
A pinch of this goes a long way and helps to enhance the aromatics in this recipe.
SOY SAUCE
If you thought all soy sauce was made equal, think again. Soy sauce is made from a very elaborate fermentation process and is graded according to its quality and taste.
In general, light soy sauce has a sharper saltiness than dark soy sauce which is thickened and sweetened by molasses.
If you are confused, Woks of Life explains this Asian condiment in great detail.
As braised pork belly is a traditional, home-cooked Chinese dish, I would highly advise that you avoid substitutes like tamari, fish sauce or Indonesian Kecap Manis. While these sauces have its place in Asian cooking, they each bring a different flavour and texture to dishes.
For authenticity please use light soy sauce and a premium thick dark soy sauce.
Why both? Well light soy sauce forms the base of this gravy while dark soy sauce creates a deeper tone and caramelised consistency.
SUGAR
You can use white or brown sugar but you must use sugar as it helps the sauce to thicken. The flavour profile of this dish is salty-sweet and slightly peppery. Without the sugar all you will taste is saltiness.
CHINESE WINE
When it comes to choosing Chinese cooking wine, I prefer using Shaoxing Wine. The brand I get is Shaoxing Chiew Pagoda Calabash.
I’m not well versed enough to tell you why but as this Food52 article explains, other brands of Chinese wine may be adulterated with salt.
Pagoda is the brand that first got exported out of Shaoxing, China in the 1950s. It is made mainly from rice and adds a delightful tang and brightness to Chinese cuisine. And as I have seen it displayed in wine cabinets at Chinese restaurants, I’m convinced of its premium quality and authenticity.
WHY COOK WITH ALCOHOL? If you haven’t started cooking with alcohol, you are missing out. Alcohol bonds with both water and fat molecules which helps to lift the flavours of any dish and bring them all together. It also enhances the fragrance of whatever you are cooking. Alcohol is great in marinades as it helps to season the meat better. When marinating, be careful when using liquor with high alcohol content, like tequila. Do not let it sit for longer than 30 minutes or it will dry out the meat. The result is an unappetizing rubbery piece of meat with all its juices evaporated.
CHINESE BLACK VINEGAR
A popular condiment for dipping dumplings into, Chinese Black Vinegar is a staple in any Asian pantry. It has a full-bodied, malty flavour and is not as sharply sour as distilled white vinegar. Adding this to your braised meats lends a mild acidity with a touch of sweetness
You can substitute with rice wine vinegar or even balsamic vinegar (avoid the thick syrupy kind). If you only have white vinegar on hand, use only a teaspoon. I personally haven’t tried it but I imagine anything more would alter the flavour too much.
Adding acidity to any meal, brightens the flavours on the palate and brings a subtle complexity to the dish.
about cooking braised pork belly
The approach to braised pork belly is simple. Blanch the pork to remove impurities & any unpleasant smells. Saute the garlic, ginger and onions. Add the pork and all the sauces, slow cook (or pressure cook in the Instant Pot) until the meat softens. Discard as much oil from the surface. Finally, simmer to reduce and thicken the sauce.
However, if you have extra time, you could try rendering out as much fat as possible from the start.
With a tablespoon of oil to start with, place the pork belly in the pot and sauté until the fat begins to render out. This process might take about 30 minutes.
Set aside the now browned slabs of pork. Discard the oil, retaining only a tablespoon to sauté the garlic, ginger and onions. Return the pork to the pot with all the sauces and continue the cooking methods listed here to get your finished product.
a vegan version
It’s super easy to convert braised pork belly to a vegan version. Replace the pork belly with another packet of firm tofu then add carrots, tofu puffs (or tau pok), shiitake (or Chinese mushrooms).
Omit the hard boiled eggs if that’s not your thing. Cook this on the stove as you don’t need to slow cook or pressure cook to get vegetables tender like you need with pork belly.
Reduce the sauce as instructed below. Add the tofu only at the end so it stays whole and doesn’t fall apart with all the stirring. Let me know how it goes!
Other Asian Recipes to Try
If you love this recipe and share it on social media please hashtag #SmittenWithCheryl, then tag @CherylMiles_ and @SmittenintheKitchen so I can see how it turned out! Meanwhile, check out these other Asian recipes you might like!
- The “Real” Singaporean Chicken Curry
- Beef Potato Cakes “Bergedil” with Pickled Cucumber
- Totally Terrific Turmeric Ginger Pepper Porridge
enjoy!
Print
Melt-in-your-Mouth Braised Pork Belly Instant Pot
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Chinese Braised Pork Belly is so easy to make. However to get that melt-in-your-mouth consistency that makes this dish so addictive, you will need to braise it for 2 hours at least. If you have an Instant Pot, it’s done in just 30 minutes – 20 minutes on a pressure cooker, 10 minutes on sauté. Bookmark this one folks… it’s a keeper!
Ingredients
- 500g/1.1lbs pork belly slabs
- 400g/14.1oz firm tofu (also known as tau kwa)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled whole and set aside
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 small red onion/4 shallots
- 1 knob ginger, sliced
- 4 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 2 pieces 1-inch sticks cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups water + more at the end
- 1/3 cup Chinese wine
- 5 tablespoons premium dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)
- 1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- spring onion or coriander, for garnish
Instructions
- To start, hard boil eggs. Once cooled, peel and leave eggs whole. Set aside.
- Place pork slabs in a large bowl. Pour hot boiling water over to remove scum and any unpleasant smells. Allow to soak for 10-15 minutes before discarding the water. Rinse clean under running water.
- Season the pork belly with salt.
- Set the IP (Instant Pot) to sauté. With some oil, brown the pork belly on both sides. If fat renders out, discard any extra oil leaving just enough to sauté the garlic, ginger, onion until translucent. If cooking over the stove, be sure to use a good cast iron pot and sauté everything as instructed.
- Deglaze the pot with Chinese wine and water, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add all the sauces, aromatics, sugar and spices.
- If cooking in an IP, set to pressure cook for 20 minutes. Cover and let the IP do its thing.
If cooking over the stove, bring the liquids to a boil, Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 2 hours, or until the pork belly is tender. Check the water level periodically and top up if the water level drops. Stir now and then to ensure nothing burns at the bottom. - Meanwhile, cook some rice in a rice cooker and set aside. You can also use this time to blanch some vegetables. Set aside.
- Cut up the firm tofu into big cubes and set aside.
- For IP: wait for 10 minutes to natural release, before quick releasing. Remove the lid.
- Scoop out excess oil from surface (for both IP and stove method). I fished out about 1 cup.
- Once that is done, return the IP setting to sauté function or turn the fire on the stove up to medium heat.
- Add whole hard-boiled eggs and firm tofu (cut into cubes).
- Whether cooking on the stove or with the IP, simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. After the flavours have deepened, add a touch more water (about 1/2 cup) to yield a saucier result.
- Garnish with coriander and serve over hot rice with a side of your favourite vegetables (eg. blanched broccoli or baby kailan.)
Notes
- You can replace pork belly with leaner cuts of pork (pork shoulder butt) or mix it in.
- For a vegan version omit pork belly and eggs and replace with more firm tofu, tofu puffs and carrot. You can also add shiitake, oyster or Chinese mushroom.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes – 2 hours
- Category: Main
- Method: Instant Pot or Stove
- Cuisine: Asian
