Sweet and Sour Pork Belly

Name: Sweet and Sour Pork Belly
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 350 g pork belly; corn oil, to taste; 1 slice bay leaf; 1 clove star anise; 2 cinnamon bark; 2 scallions; 4 slices ginger; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp cooking wine; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp sugar; 4 tbsp aromatic vinegar; 5 tbsp water

For the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, still need a standout dish to serve your guests? Make this Sweet and Sour Pork Belly — simple to prepare and sure to impress. When you think of sweet and sour dishes, classics like Sweet and Sour Ribs, Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin, and Sweet and Sour Fish come to mind — tangy-sweet, appetizing, and a great partner for rice, loved by all. The key is the sauce. The ratio is easy to remember: 1 wine, 2 soy sauce, 3 sugar, 4 vinegar, 5 water. Even beginners can cook like a pro — give it a try!

45 min

Hard

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Ingredients

pork belly 350 g

corn oil to taste

bay leaf 1 slice

star anise 1 clove

cinnamon bark 2

scallions 2

ginger 4 slices

salt 1 tsp

cooking wine 1 tbsp

soy sauce 2 tbsp

sugar 3 tbsp

aromatic vinegar 4 tbsp

water 5 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1

Prepare all the ingredients.

Step 2

Wash the pork belly.

Step 3

Chill briefly in the freezer, then cut into chunks and set aside.

Step 4

Now prepare the sweet and sour sauce. Pour into a bowl: 1 tbsp cooking wine.

Step 5

Add 2 tbsp soy sauce for a light color (PS: if you prefer a deeper color like I do, use 1 tbsp light soy sauce plus 1 tbsp dark soy sauce).

Step 6

Add 3 tbsp sugar.

Step 7

Add 4 tbsp aromatic vinegar.

Step 8

Finally add 5 tbsp water and stir until well combined.

Step 9

Heat oil in a pan, sauté scallions, ginger, and spices until fragrant, then remove and set aside.

Step 10

Leave the base oil in the pan and add the pork belly.

Step 11

Pan-fry until both sides are golden brown, return the sautéed aromatics to the pan with a small amount of warm water, cover and simmer on low heat for about 5–8 minutes.

Step 12

When the liquid has reduced, pour in the prepared sweet and sour sauce, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Step 13

Once boiling, reduce to low heat and braise until the pork belly is tender, then turn up the heat to reduce the sauce. Season with salt to taste.

Step 14

Stir well, turn off the heat, and transfer to a serving dish.

Step 15

Plate and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions for extra aroma.

Step 16

Take a bite: perfectly balanced sweet and sour, rich but not greasy, lean meat that is not dry — truly delicious.