Braised Pork Belly with Green Papaya and Soy Liquor
Slow-cooked pork belly where green papaya enzymes are used to tenderize the meat in a rich Chinese master stock.
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs Pork belly, skin-on and slab-cut
- 1.5 cups Green papaya, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup Shaoxing rice wine
- 0.5 cup Dark soy sauce
- 0.25 cup Light soy sauce
- 50 grams Rock sugar
- 4 whole Star anise
- 1 whole Cinnamon stick
- 5 pieces Ginger, sliced into thick rounds
- 4 cups Fresh chicken stock
- 6 whole Dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated
- 3 stalks Scallions, tied in a knot
Instructions
- 1
Blanch the pork belly slab in boiling water with ginger and a splash of rice wine for 5 minutes to remove impurities, then rinse and pat dry.
- 2
In a heavy-bottomed clay pot or Dutch oven, melt the rock sugar over medium heat until it caramelizes into a deep amber liquid.
- 3
Carefully sear the pork belly in the caramel, skin-side down first, until the exterior is glazed and golden brown.
- 4
Deglaze the pot with the Shaoxing rice wine, scraping the bottom to incorporate the caramel, then add the light and dark soy sauces.
- 5
Submerge the pork in chicken stock and add the star anise, cinnamon, scallions, and shiitake mushrooms.
- 6
Layer the cubed green papaya directly on top of the pork; the papain enzymes will leach into the meat during the slow braise to break down the connective tissue.
- 7
Cover with a cartouche and a tight lid, then simmer on the lowest possible heat for 3.5 hours until the fat is translucent and the meat is spoon-tender.
- 8
Remove the pork carefully, strain the braising liquid, and reduce it by half until it reaches a syrupy 'liquor' consistency before glazing the meat for service.
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