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Hakka Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables

Name: Hakka Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 40 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: cantonese
Ingredients: pork belly; green onion; ginger; cooking wine; Preserved mustard greens; Garlic; rock sugar; dark soy sauce; Pepper powder; oyster sauce; soy sauce; water; white vinegar; sugar; Cooking oil; tapioca starch

groups4 servingsspeedMediumcountertopsPrep: 40 minsskilletCook: 160 minsscheduleTotal: 200 minsoutdoor_grillSteamed

Allergens:warningGlutenwarningSoy

Allergen labels are AI-generated and may be incomplete or wrong. If you have a food allergy, always verify every ingredient yourself.

Recipe details are AI-generated from the video and may contain errors — for reference only.

skilletInstruction

18 Steps Total

schedulePrepare in advance

circlePreserved mustard greens need to be soaked in advance for 20 minutes20min

Preparation

00:01:25

Soak 100g of preserved mustard greens in a bowl of clean water for about 20 minutes to soften and reduce excess saltiness

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Watch out

The preserved vegetables must be soaked thoroughly, otherwise excess salt will render the final dish overly salty.

Ingredients:Preserved mustard greens (100 g)

Tools:mixing bowl

Active Cooking

00:00:58

Add cold water into a pan, then place 500g pork belly, 30g scallion bundle, 20g ginger slices, and 15ml cooking wine inside
Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes (flip the pork over at the 10-minute mark) until scum floats and meat turns firm and white

local_fire_departmentMedium-low heat, approx 20 mins

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Watch out

The pork must be placed in cold water initially

boiling water cooks the surface immediately and traps blood and impurities inside

Ingredients:pork belly (500 g)green onion (30 g)ginger (20 g)cooking wine (15 ml)

Tools:frying pan

Preparation

00:01:34

Crush and peel 30g garlic cloves then finely mince them
Peel and finely mince 20g ginger
Place them on a plate for later use

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Watch out

Mince the garlic and ginger as finely and evenly as possible so they release flavor quickly without leaving raw chunks.

Ingredients:Garlic (30 g)ginger (20 g)

Tools:chef's knifecutting board

Preparation

00:02:12

Take out the soaked preserved mustard greens and finely chop them into small pieces on a cutting board, ensuring no large chunks remain

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Watch out

Chop the mustard greens small enough

coarse pieces won't absorb sauce well and stay tough

Ingredients:Preserved mustard greens

Tools:chef's knifecutting board

Preparation

00:02:23

Place the chopped preserved mustard greens into a basin of water and rinse 2-3 times to remove any remaining grit, then squeeze firmly with both hands to remove moisture

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Watch out

Be sure to squeeze out all excess water completely, or the vegetable will steam rather than dry-fry nicely.

Ingredients:Preserved mustard greens

Tools:colander

Active Cooking

00:02:57

Place a wok over low heat without any oil
Add the squeezed mustard greens and stir-fry over low heat to dry out moisture until aromatic

local_fire_departmentLow heat, approx 2 mins

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Watch out

Maintain low heat throughout dry-frying

high heat will easily burn the vegetables and stick to the pan bottom

Ingredients:Preserved mustard greens

Tools:wokwok spatula

Active Cooking

00:03:18

Push the dry-fried mustard greens to one side of the wok
Pour in 15ml cooking oil, add minced garlic and ginger, and sauté until golden
Mix with the mustard greens, add 150ml water, 15g rock sugar, 1g white pepper, 7.5ml dark soy sauce, 15ml oyster sauce, and 15ml soy sauce
Simmer over low heat until the rock sugar melts and greens absorb the dark glossy sauce

local_fire_departmentLow heat, approx 3-5 mins

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Watch out

Do not overheat the oil when frying minced garlic

burnt garlic will make the sauce taste bitter

Ingredients:Cooking oil (15 ml)water (150 ml)rock sugar (15 g)Pepper powder (1 g)dark soy sauce (7.5 ml)oyster sauce (15 ml)soy sauce (15 ml)

Tools:wok

Waiting Time

00:04:20

warningStay safe

The cooked pork belly carries boiling liquid when removed; handle with tongs or slotted spoon to prevent scalds.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the blanched pork belly from the hot broth into a bowl of cold water, cooling it down until manageable and skin becomes firm

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Watch out

The boiled pork belly is extremely hot

use tongs or a slotted spoon rather than bare hands

Ingredients:pork belly

Tools:slotted spoonmixing bowl

Preparation

00:04:36

Remove pork belly and prick the skin densely with a fork
Rub 5ml white vinegar onto the skin, then smear 15ml cooking wine and 7.5ml dark soy sauce over the pork for color and flavor
Place skin-side down over chopsticks or a rack to drain liquid thoroughly until no moisture remains

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Watch out

Ensure the pork skin is completely dried of liquid, as remaining water will cause severe splattering when fried in hot oil.

Ingredients:white vinegar (5 ml)cooking wine (15 ml)dark soy sauce (7.5 ml)

Tools:fork

Preparation

00:05:29

Transfer the braised mustard greens along with their rich gravy into a deep bowl and set aside

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Watch out

Keep a bit of gravy with the preserved vegetables

it will penetrate the pork belly better when steamed later

Tools:mixing bowl

Active Cooking

00:05:44

warningStay safe

Frying pork skin causes severe hot oil popping; keep lid closed at all times to avoid oil splatters scalding face or arms.

Heat 285ml cooking oil in a wok over medium heat
Carefully place the pork belly skin-side down into the hot oil, and **immediately cover with a lid**!
Deep-fry over medium-low heat while listening to loud sizzling/popping sounds
Once the popping subsides (approx 5-8 mins), remove the lid, flip the pork belly over to lightly brown the meat, then remove

local_fire_departmentMedium-low heat, approx 5-8 mins

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Watch out

The pork skin will pop violently upon entering hot oil

prepare the lid in advance and cover immediately. Do not open prematurely

Ingredients:Cooking oil (285 ml)

Tools:pot lidwok

Waiting Time

00:07:05

Remove the deep-fried pork belly and submerge it skin-side down in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, until the skin absorbs water, softens, and puffs up into a wrinkled tiger-skin texture

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Watch out

The fried pork must be soaked skin-side down in cold water long enough

insufficient soaking prevents the tiger-skin effect

Ingredients:pork belly

Tools:mixing bowl

Preparation

00:07:25

Remove the cooled pork belly and place it **skin-side down** on a cutting board
Slice evenly into thick slices of about 1cm with a sharp knife

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Watch out

Always place the pork skin-side down while slicing

slicing with skin facing up will tear or crush the softened skin

Ingredients:pork belly

Tools:chef's knifecutting board

Preparation

00:07:46

Place sliced pork into a bowl, add 7.5ml dark soy sauce, 2g white pepper, 7.5g sugar, and 15ml soy sauce, then toss well
Take a deep steaming bowl and arrange the pork slices **skin-side down** neatly side by side along the bottom and sides

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Watch out

Ensure all slices are arranged skin-side down tightly against the bowl bottom so it looks neat when inverted onto a plate later.

Ingredients:dark soy saucePepper powder (2 g)sugar (7.5 g)soy sauce (15 ml)

Tools:deep steaming bowl

Preparation

00:08:09

Spoon the cooked preserved mustard greens and remaining juices into the bowl over the pork slices
Press down firmly with hands or a spoon so the greens completely cover the pork and pack tightly

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Watch out

Pack the greens down tightly so they fully absorb the rendering pork fat during steaming.

Tools:deep steaming bowl

Active Cooking

00:08:23

Place the steaming bowl into a steamer filled with water and cover tightly
Steam on **high heat for 30 minutes**, then switch to **medium-low heat and steam for another 1.5 hours** (total 2 hours) until the pork belly is meltingly tender and rich gravy collects

local_fire_departmentHigh heat for 30m, then medium-low heat for 1.5h (2h total)

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Watch out

Ensure enough water in steamer for 2 hours of steaming

if adding water mid-way, use boiling water to maintain temperature

Tools:steamer

Active Cooking

00:08:49

warningStay safe

The steaming bowl and liquid are scalding hot; always wear insulated oven mitts and hold firmly when pouring liquid.

Wearing oven mitts, carefully remove the steaming bowl
Drain the natural meat juice into a wok and bring to a simmer
In a small bowl, mix 10g tapioca starch with 50ml water to make a slurry, then stir it gradually into the simmering juice until thickened and glossy

local_fire_departmentMedium heat, approx 2 mins

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Watch out

Do not pour all starch slurry at once

add incrementally to check consistency so it doesn't become too thick or lumpy

Ingredients:tapioca starch (10 g)water (50 ml)

Tools:Oven mittswok

Active Cooking

00:09:23

Place a serving plate over the top of the steaming bowl, press firmly together and swiftly invert it
Carefully lift away the bowl to reveal the neatly arranged pork belly over preserved vegetables, then spoon the hot thickened glaze over the top

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Watch out

Hold plate and bowl tightly together while flipping swiftly to prevent spilling juice or dislodging the meat.

Tools:serving plate