Hong shao rou (slow-braised soy pork belly)

• Use pork belly with the skin on and roughly equal parts fat and lean meat. The skin adds gelatin for a glossy sauce, and the fat renders during braising to keep the meat tender. Avoid overly lean or pre-trimmed cuts, and score the skin lightly if desired.
• Stop at caramelising the sugar once it turns amber. If it goes too dark, it will become bitter that will carry throughout the sauce. The caramel will need to be remade.
• The braising liquid should reach about halfway to two-thirds up the pork. It shouldn’t be fully submerged.
• The pork should sit in a single layer as much as possible for even braising and reduction.
• Avoid stirring too much as this will cause the pork to break apart. Gently tossing or folding is better.
• Cover partially and maintain a very gentle simmer. This allows the sauce to gradually reduce and concentrate during cooking.
• A very gentle simmer is a must to prevent the pork becoming tough.

• Replace the rock sugar with caster sugar (slightly cleaner sweetness) or light brown sugar (deeper flavour).
• Replace the Shaoxing wine with dry sherry for the closest flavour.
• Star anise and cinnamon can be sparingly replaced with Chinese five spice.

Allow to cool completely before storing.

Refrigeration: Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The flavour often improves after a day as the sauce settles

Freezer: Store for up to 2–3 months (best quality within 1 month).

If frozen, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Stove: Gently reheat in a pan over low heat (with a splash of water to loosen the sauce) until hot throughout. Avoid high heat as this causes the fat to separate and the sauce to split.