One of those sticky, and oh so good saucy pork bellies I sampled in China. This is my take. A lovely main meal with fried rice or just as a snack / canapé to entertain friends at a sundowner cocktail party.
What is hoisin sauce?
It’s a thick, umami-packed sauce often used in Cantonese cuisine (Guangzhou/Hong Kong area). There are a lot of variations, but the main ingredients include soybean paste, sugar, garlic, and Chinese five spice. It’s very savory and sweet. I usually just buy a bottle at the supermarket.
Method
Step 1: Preparing the meat
Preheat oven to 160 °C / 325 °F. Season the pork belly lightly with salt and rub it with Chinese five spice. Place in a roasting pan or ovenproof dish and cover tightly with lid/foil. Roast for 2 to 2 ½ hours until tender, but still firm (don’t want pulled pork!). Let it cool and cut into bite-size squares.
Step 2: Frying the meat
In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and fry the belly squares until brown and almost crispy all over. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Remove excess fat from the pan and give it a quick wipe with paper towel.
Step 3: Preparing the sauce
Using the same frying pan as in step 2, add the water, sugar, and honey. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil over low heat. Stop stirring once it’s boiling and continue boiling until sugar caramelizes and turns amber-gold in color, about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the vinegar, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and water.
Step 4: Concluding sauce and final touches
Once sugar syrup is caramelized, immediately stir in the hoisin sauce mixture until combined. Be careful, it’s extremely hot and might be bubbly. Spoon the belly squares into the sticky sauce and cook over medium-low heat until glossy, about 5 minutes. Garnish with chives, red chili, and sesame seeds.
