Braised Pork Belly (扣肉包) by Angela Seah Thulin

Photo credit: Novan Tan :)

Ingredients -
550g pork belly 
5 chinese mushroom, soaked and sliced
2 tbsp oil
3 shallots, sliced
6 gloves of garlic, lightly mashed
40g galangal/ginger, sliced
4 tbsp LKK dark soy sauce
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
5 cloves
1 tbsp five spice powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt (or more)
1/4 tsp white pepper
500ml water
1 tsp sesame oil
30g crystal sugar
Some leaf buns 
Some coriander leaves

Steps -
1. Cut your pork belly into slices between 40-50g each.
2. In a pot with 2 tbsp of oil, saute the sliced shallots and garlic till fragrant. Then add the pork belly in follow by the ginger. Cook till the sides of the pork belly turn slightly brown.
3. Add the soaked mushroom in.
4. Add the dark soy sauce, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, five spice powder, cumin powder, salt and white pepper. Give it a good stir to mix well.
5.  Add the 500ml water in follow by sesame oil and crystal sugar. Let it come to a boil and then switch to low heat and simmer for an hour or longer. And done!
6. Steam the buns for 10 minutes.

Assemble with leaf buns and coriander leaves - yummy!!

Notes -
1. I added a big pinch of cumin seeds instead of using powder.
2. I added few cooked hard boiled eggs after 30 minutes of simmering.
3. I used less salt but added about 1 tsp more dark soy sauce.
4. Overall, i find the taste quite strong and fragrant. We like it and will use this recipe again.


Recipe origin: The Meatmen