For 8 big Kong Bak Pau
-750g Pork Belly 五花肉
- 1 small pkt of 12g Mixed Spices (Star Aniseed 八角, Cinnamon 肉桂, Cloves 丁香, Cardamom 小豆蔻)
- 12-15 Garlic Gloves (with skin on, rinsed and smashed slightly)
- 8 Kong Bak Pau (Steamed Bun)
Marinate / Seasoning- 3 tsp Five Spice Powder 五香粉 (1 tsp for marinating; 2 tsp for sauce)
- 4 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- Salt, Sugar, Pepper
Steps
1. Blanch pork belly in boiling water for about 5 minutes or till about 80% cooked. Remove to cool down slightly, cut pork into bite size of about 1.5 cm wide. {Use toothpicks to secure pieces which are not properly intact.}
2. Rub 1 tsp Five Spice Powder and half tsp salt evenly onto the pork. Then glaze a pan with some oil, do a quick pan-fry to get a slightly golden-brown colour. {Do not over-fry. This step is to enhance a chewy QQ texture of skin and that the fats will not get too soft and mushy after braising.} Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, with some oil, add garlic and mixed spices. Fry for 3-4 mins till fragrant. Set aside.
4. Now to prepare sauce. Use a claypot or suitable braising pot, heat up the pot (no oil needed). When hot, turn to low-medium heat, add 4 tbsp sugar; stir it constantly till sugar melts and caramelise into a light brown sauce. {This process may take a while, do not use high heat else sugar will have a bitter charred taste.}
5. Then slowly add in about one-third pot of boiling water into the caramelised sauce, stir and mix well. Transfer the fried garlic and spices into the pot. Add 4 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp Five Spice Powder, salt and pepper. Also, add sugar if required. Mix well.
6. Put in pork; ensure sauce covers just above the pork. Bring it to a boil, then switch to low heat and simmer for about 1.5 hrs. {Tip: Put in a china soup spoon to speed up softening of pork during braising.} Check after 1 hr to ensure sauce does not dry up and continue for another half-hour or till pork is tender and has well-absorbed the flavour.
7. Finally, to get a thicker sauce, turn to high heat for a few minutes to thicken sauce. To serve, assemble the pork with steamed bun and lettuce (optional). Enjoy!