Braised Pork Belly with Napa Cabbage 🍖🥬

Tender pork belly simmered with soy sauce, spices, and Napa cabbage for a rich, comforting dish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork belly, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 1 cup water
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 head Napa cabbage, cut into large pieces
• Dried red chilies (optional)

Instructions

1. Blanch Pork Belly: In a pot of boiling water, cook pork belly for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Caramelize Sugar: Heat oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat. Add sugar and cook until melted and golden brown.
3. Brown Pork Belly: Add pork belly to the pot and cook until browned on all sides.
4. Add Aromatics: Stir in ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon stick (if using), and dried red chilies (if using). Cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Add Liquids: Pour in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, until pork belly is tender.
6. Add Napa Cabbage: Stir in Napa cabbage and cook for 10–15 minutes until tender.
7. Reduce Sauce: Increase heat and simmer uncovered if desired, until sauce thickens and coats pork belly.
8. Serve: Serve hot over steamed rice.

Details

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: ~1 hour 35 minutes
• Servings: 4

Tip: For deeper flavor, let the pork belly rest in the sauce for a few minutes before serving.