Chinese-Style Pork Belly Stew

Ingredients

• 800 g pork belly slices, cut into 5cm pieces
• 4 medium eggs, soft-boiled (7 minutes), peeled
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 60 ml Shaoxing rice wine
• Pickled cucumber, to serve
• 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and cut into coins
• 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
• 3 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal, to serve
• 80 ml soy sauce
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 3 star anise
• Fresh coriander, to serve

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Drop in the pork belly and blanch for 5 minutes — the scum that rises is what would otherwise muddy your sauce, so this step earns its place. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat the pork thoroughly dry. Wet pork won't sear. While you're there, cover the dried shiitake with 100ml of just-boiled water and leave to soak.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy casserole or wok over a medium-high heat. Season the pork pieces with salt and pepper, then lay them skin-side down in a single layer — work in two batches if your pan is tight. Crowd the pan and the pork steams instead of browning. Cook undisturbed for 5–6 minutes until the skin is deep gold and starting to crisp, then turn and colour the other side for 2 minutes. Lift everything out.
3. Drop the heat to medium. Scatter the brown sugar into the empty pan and let it melt for 1–2 minutes until it turns amber and smells of toffee — don't walk away, it goes from caramel to bitter in seconds. Return the pork and turn it through the caramel to coat.
4. Add the crushed garlic and ginger coins and stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant — burnt garlic will turn this whole pot bitter, so watch it. Tip in the star anise, cinnamon, five spice and shiitake; let the spices toast in the oil for another 30 seconds until they bloom and smell of themselves rather than the jar.
5. Pour in the Shaoxing and let it sizzle hard for a minute, scraping up any caramelised bits stuck to the base — that fond is half your flavour. Add both soy sauces, the chicken stock, the shiitake soaking liquid (leave the gritty last spoonful behind), and the carrot chunks. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat your hob will hold for 1 hour 30 minutes, turning the pork gently every 30 minutes. You're looking for meat that gives under a spoon and a sauce that's gone properly dark and savoury. Slide the peeled soft-boiled eggs in for the final 20 minutes so they take on the colour and the flavour.
7. Lift the pork and eggs out to a board. Fish out the star anise, cinnamon and ginger coins. Crank the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce uncovered for 8–10 minutes until it's glossy and coats the back of a spoon — the carrot and shiitake will collapse into the glaze as it thickens. Taste it now: most of the salt comes from the soy, but a final pinch and a crack of pepper ties it together. Adjust now, not at the table.
8. Off the heat, drizzle in the sesame oil and swirl it through. Return the pork and eggs, turning gently so every piece is lacquered in the dark glaze.
9. Spoon the pork, halved eggs and plenty of glaze over bowls of steamed jasmine rice, then scatter the sliced spring onions over the top.