Homemade Canned Stewed Pork (Chinese Five Spice Stewed Pork Belly)
This is the the RECIPE for Homemade Canned Stewed Pork ( Chinese Five Spice Stewed Pork Belly ). You can cook it at home without the added preservatives and adjust the saltiness to taste. To make this dish, you will need to boil, fry and then stew the pork belly.
Recipe by Mama Ding
Total Time | 3 hrs 10 mins
Prep Time | 40 mins
Cook Time | 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings : 6 - 8
Ingredients
1.6 kg (3.5 lbs) slab of pork belly, cut to 8 x 20 cm (3 x 8 inch), skin on*
5 cm (2 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
10 pips garlic, peeled and smashed
8 shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
8 cups water
2 tbsp rice vinegar/white vinegar
enough water to boil the pork belly
enough oil to pan fry the pork belly
3 tbsp cooking oil, for saute
4 tbsp sugar/rock sugar
cornstarch slurry (2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water)
For the marinade, mix together~
4 tbsp cooking wine (can be substituted with ginger juice)
8 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Chinese five spice powder
2 tsp white pepper powder
For saute~
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
7 cloves
5 cardamons
Method
01 Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil. When water is boiling, add 2 tbsp of rice vinegar/white vinegar. Place the slab of pork belly in (skin side down) and boil for 10 mins. Remove and place skin side up into a large bowl. Discard the water in the pot.
02 Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl. Pour on to the slab of pork belly and rub the marinade all over the pork belly. Set aside to marinade for at least 30 mins.
03 When ready, heat enough oil in a wok/pan for frying. When oil is hot, reduce to medium. Take the slab of pork belly (save the marinade for step 05) and gently lower into the oil, skin side down. Fry on medium heat for 5 mins. Then, fry all other sides for 1 min each. Remove from heat and drain on a wire rack. Set aside while you prepare the stewing broth.
04 To prepare the stewing broth, heat oil in a large pot. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, clove and cardamons. Stir fry for 2 mins on medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside. In the same pot and using the same oil, put in the ginger and saute on high heat until slightly browned. Add the garlic and shallots. Saute until browned. Add the sauteed spices (cinnamon stick, star anise, clove, cardamon). Saute for 1 min.
05 Add the 8 cups of water. Bring to the boil. When water is boiling, add all the marinade into the pot. Add the 4 tbsp sugar/rock sugar. Bring to the boil. Turn down heat to low. Gently put in the slab of fried pork belly (skin side down) into the pot with the stewing broth. Bring to the boil on high heat then lower to medium heat.
Simmer covered on medium heat for 2 hrs 30 mins. The stewing broth should be bubbling lightly.
After 1 hr of stewing, flip the pork belly. After the second hour, flip it again.
06 After 2 and a half hours, the pork belly should be tender. Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning (salt, sugar. white pepper powder) to taste. Remove the pork belly and place on a plate to cool slightly before slicing.
Use a sieve and remove all the solids from the gravy. Remove the ginger, garlic and the saute spices and discard. Add the cornstarch slurry to the gravy to thicken it. Bring to the boil while stirring then turn off heat.
07 To serve, slice the slab of pork belly to desired thickness. Place the sliced pork belly on your serving plate. Drizzle the gravy over the sliced pork belly. Serve with rice or use it to fry Canned Stewed Pork Rice Vermicelli/Beehoon.
Notes
Choose pork belly of even thickness. I cut mine into 2 slabs of 8 x 20 cm (3 x 8 inch) for easier handling. Be careful when frying the pork belly especially when frying the skin side as it will splatter.
If you like the pork belly to be fall apart soft, stew for 30 mins longer.
You can eat this with rice or noodles or sandwich a slice in between bread or pau/mantou. And best of all, you can fry Canned Stewed Pork Rice Vermicelli/Beehoon with this.
Check out the recipe for Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli with Canned Stewed Pork