Chinese🥩 Meat

Braised Pork Belly with Meigancai

Name: Braised Pork Belly with Meigancai
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 lb pork belly with skin; 3 slices ginger; 5 cloves garlic; 2 shallots; 3 scallions; ½ tbsp cooking oil; 1 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 bay leaves; 3 tbsp rock sugar; 1/3 cups Shaoxing wine; 4 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; ½ tsp ground black pepper; 3½ cups water; 100 g meigancai (preserved mustard greens)

⏱ 115 min

A Zhejiang-style braised pork belly dish featuring meigancai (preserved fermented mustard greens), a specialty from Shaoxing. The skin-on pork belly becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender while the meigancai provides a crispy, savory contrast. The rich, glossy sauce coats the meat perfectly. Serve over rice, noodles, or stuffed in white steamed buns for a deeply satisfying meal.

Adapted from a video by Souped Up Recipes

This Special Ingredient Makes The Best Chinese Pork Belly Recipe

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Ingredients

pork belly with skin2 lb
ginger3 slices
garlic5 cloves
shallots2
scallions3
cooking oil½ tbsp
star anise1
cinnamon stick1
bay leaves3
rock sugar3 tbsp
Shaoxing wine

Steps

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1
Soak the meigancai in clean water for 1 hour to soften and remove excess saltiness.
2
Slice the pork belly into 1/3-inch thick slabs, then dice into 1/3-inch cubes. Keep the skin on, as it contains gelatin that will thicken the sauce.
3
Heat a wok to smoking hot over high heat. Add 1/2 tbsp oil and spread the pork cubes in a single layer. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until about 1/4 cup of lard has rendered out.
4
Push the pork to the side and spoon out some excess fat to prevent the dish from being too oily.
5
Blend the ginger, garlic, shallots, and scallions until finely minced.
6
Return heat to medium, add the minced aromatics, star anise, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Stir until fragrant and well combined with the pork.
7
Pour in 1/3 cup Shaoxing wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the wok.
8
Season with 4 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, black pepper to taste, and 3 tbsp rock sugar.
9
Pour in 3.5 cups water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
10
After soaking is complete, drain and rinse the meigancai several times to remove excess sodium, then squeeze out excess water.
11
Add the meigancai to the pork and continue braising for another hour until the pork is very tender.
12
Remove the spices, then check the sauce consistency. If too thin, increase heat and reduce until thick and glossy, stirring constantly to prevent burning (the sauce burns easily due to high gelatin and sugar content). Taste and adjust seasoning according to the meigancai's saltiness.

Braised Pork Belly with Meigancai

Ingredients

Steps

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