Soy Braised Pork Belly with Chinese Steamed Buns
Marge Perry & David Bonom

Soy Braised Pork Belly with Chinese Steamed Buns

One of the keys to the deep, savory flavor of the of the braise is what’s known as “thin” or “superior” or “premium” soy sauce. It is also occasionally referred to as light soy sauce—but don’t confuse that with low sodium! Thin soy sauce is actually saltier and lighter in color than regular soy sauce. Buy the buns at your local Chinese market: look in the freezer section for folded, not round, buns.

One of the keys to the deep, savory flavor of the of the braise is what’s known as “thin” or “superior” or “premium” soy sauce. It is also occasionally referred to as light soy sauce—but don’t confuse that with low sodium! Thin soy sauce is actually saltier and lighter in color than regular soy sauce. Buy the buns at your local Chinese market: look in the freezer section for folded, not round, buns.

Ingredients

Pork Belly:

1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless uncured pork belly cut into (8) 3-inch x 1-inch thick slices

5 tablespoons of sugar

1 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup of black or dark soy sauce

1/3 cup of shaoxing wine

3 tablespoons of thin soy sauce

3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce

3 quarter size slices of fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

3 scallions cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Buns:

8 Chinese buns sandwich style, folded

16 slices of cucumber thin

2 tablespoons of scallion thinly sliced

Directions

  1. Toss the pork belly in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Heat a nonstick Circulon Momentum Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add half of the pork belly and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining pork belly.
  2. Preheat the oven to 275° F.
  3. Wipe out the Dutch oven with a paper towel. Combine the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, broth, black soy sauce, wine, thin soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic and scallions. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook 10 minutes. Add the pork belly and any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours. Remove pan from the oven then transfer the pork belly to a clean plate.
  4. Bring the sauce in the Dutch oven to a boil over medium heat and cook 4 minutes. Place the steamer insert into the pan and fill with the buns. Cover and cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the buns are heated through and soft, about 8-9 minutes. Return the pork belly to the sauce, remove from the heat and let stand covered, until heated through, 2-3 minutes. To serve fill each bun with 2 cucumber slices, 1 piece pork belly, and a sprinkle of sliced scallions. Spoon extra sauce over the filling.
Tags:Baked goods, Dutch Oven, Everyday, Lunch, Marge Perry & David Bonom, pork, Vegetables