Home-style Braised Pork Belly with Eggs & Beer

Dry-heat the wok over high flame until smoking blue. Hold 400g pork belly skin-side down against the hot metal surface, pressing and sliding until the skin is scorched golden brown, then remove.

Submerge the scorched pork belly in a basin of water and scrub thoroughly to wash off burned black bits. Rinse several times until the skin is clean and light golden in color.

Fill a pot with clean water, add the washed whole pork belly, 3 ginger slices, 40g cooking wine, and 3 scallion knots. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off scum from the surface, and boil for 15 minutes until the pork firms up and turns white.

Use chopsticks to transfer the boiled pork belly into a basin of cold water and cool completely. This step cools down the fat to prevent oil splattering during stir-frying later.

Remove the cooled pork belly and drain excess moisture. Slice into uniform 2.5cm cubes and set aside on a plate.

Slice 15g ginger into thin slices. Tie 3 stalks of scallions into a knot, and place together into a small bowl.

Prepare 4 raw eggs and wash their shells thoroughly in cold water (quail eggs or pigeon eggs can be used instead).

In a small bowl, combine 2 star anise, 2 small pieces of cinnamon bark, 2 bay leaves, and 10 green Sichuan peppercorns.

Heat the wok, swirl in 15ml oil to lubricate, then pour out the excess hot oil. Add the pork belly cubes and fry over low heat for 6 minutes, stirring until golden brown and fat renders out. Pour off excess rendered pork fat, then transfer the pork onto a strainer to drain.

Add the prepared star anise, cinnamon bark, bay leaves, green peppercorns, and ginger slices into the wok, followed by the fried pork belly. Stir-fry over low heat for 30 seconds until the spices release their aroma.

Add 10g caramel liquid color (or substitute with 5g dark soy sauce) and drizzle 3g light soy sauce along the side of the wok. Stir-fry quickly until the pork cubes are evenly coated in a glossy dark red hue.

Pour 500ml of beer into the wok, then add 2 ladles of clean water (approx 400ml). Turn heat to high and bring the liquid to a rapid boil.

Once boiling, add 2g salt, 2g sugar, and 0.5g white pepper powder, then add the scallion knot. Turn heat to low, gently drop in the 4 washed raw eggs, cover, and braise for 60 minutes until the pork becomes tender and thoroughly infused with flavors.

At the 50-minute mark of simmering, uncover the wok and use chopsticks/ladle to pick out and discard the soft scallion knot and ginger slices.

Use a ladle to scoop out the 4 braised eggs and place them evenly at the bottom of a wide serving dish as a base.

Keep heat on low to simmer down the remaining gravy for about 10 minutes, gently shaking the wok periodically, until the sauce thickens into a glossy ruby glaze coating the pork. Spoon pork and rich sauce over the eggs, and sprinkle with chopped scallions to serve.