Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork

Ingredients

• 1kg skin-on pork belly, cut into 4cm cubes
• 4 slices ginger, plus 1 thumb sliced
• 2 spring onions, halved
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, for blanching
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 70g rock sugar, crushed
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine, for the braise
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 6 dried Sichuan chillies
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 700ml hot water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 spring onions, sliced, to finish

Before you cook

• Cut the pork belly into even cubes with the skin left on
• Crush the rock sugar into small pieces so it melts evenly
• Slice the ginger and cut the spring onions
• Boil a kettle so you have hot water ready for the braise

Steps

1. Put the pork cubes into a pan of cold water with the ginger slices, halved spring onions and two tablespoons of Shaoxing wine.
2. Bring the water to the boil and skim the foam for three minutes, then drain the pork and rinse it under warm water.
3. Pat the pork dry and set it aside.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and add the crushed rock sugar.
5. Stir the sugar patiently until it melts and turns the colour of dark honey, about four minutes, watching closely so it does not burn.
6. Tip in the pork at once and stir for two minutes so every cube is coated in caramel.
7. Add the sliced ginger, dried chillies, cinnamon and bay leaves and stir for thirty seconds.
8. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and light soy sauce and let them bubble away.
9. Add enough hot water to just cover the pork and bring it to the boil.
10. Turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer for ninety minutes until the pork wobbles when nudged.
11. Uncover, add the salt, and raise the heat to reduce the liquid for about fifteen minutes until it becomes a glossy syrup that coats the meat.
12. Scatter the sliced spring onions over the top and serve with steamed rice to catch the sauce.