Serves 8-10
Ingredients
1.5kg Pork Belly, cut into 1" pieces
100g Pig Skin (Optional)
6-8 Hard Boiled Eggs
4 Tau Kwa/Firm Tofu, cut into 6 pieces
20 Tau Pau/Tofu Puff, cut into 2 triangles
1 packet Tau Kee/Tofu Skin
2" Ginger, Sliced
10 Clove Garlic, skin intact and lightly bashed
5 Stalk Spring Onion, White Portion Only
1 x 3" Cinnamon Stick
2 Star Anise
5 Cloves
100g Rock Sugar, to caramelise the pork
15-20g Rock Sugar
3 Tbsp Superior Light Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp Caramel Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tsp Five Spice Powder (reduce to 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder
Enough Hot Water to just cover the meat
Method
Blanch pork belly in boiling water for about 5 minutes and drained. Set aside.
In a claypot, heat up 1 Tbsp cooking oil over medium heat. Fry the ginger, garlic, shallots cinnamon, star anise and cloves till fragrant. Scoop out and set aside. Once slightly cooled, pick out the spices and put into a tea bag.
Turn the heat to low. Add in the 100g rock sugar, slowly melt it over low heat and stir till it turns dark brown.
Add in the meat & pig skin into the claypot, stir well to properly coat the meat and skin; let it brown for about 4-5 minutes.
Add in the 5 spice powder and stir evenly for a couple minutes.
Pour in all the soy sauces, stir to coat evenly and enough water to cover the meat. Add in the balance of the rock sugar, spices in the tea bag, fried spring onion, ginger, garlic and white pepper powder.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
Cover the claypot, let it simmer for 1.5 hours or till meat is fork tender. Take note to stir once a while to prevent burning at the bottom of the claypot.
After 1.5 hours of simmering, add in the Tau Kwa, Tau Pau, Beancurd Skin and hard boiled eggs whichever ones you are using.
Let it cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, the tofu puff and firm tofu would be well flavoured by now. Pick out the tau pau & tau kwa to be serve along side the Pork Belly.
Serve hot with plenty of rice!
Author's Notes
1. Do not cook the Tofu puff and firm tofu for too long; 10-15 minutes is sufficient.