Sake-And-Soy-Braised Pork Belly

Cook ½ cup (100 g; packed) dark brown sugar and 3 Tbsp. water in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring often, until big bubbles form then settle down and mixture is slightly darkened in color and hardens into a thin thread when drizzled from a spoon back into pot, 5–7 minutes. Gradually pour in 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup sake, ½ cup soy sauce, and ½ cup water, stirring constantly (be careful; mixture will bubble up quickly), then add one 3" piece ginger, scrubbed, sliced ¼" thick, 4 red Thai chiles (if using), and 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped. Bring to a simmer and cook until any hardened sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes.
Add 2 lb. skin-on pork belly, cut into 2" cubes (try your best to submerge cubes). Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pot, and braise, rotating pork and skimming fat from surface every 20 minutes, until meat shreds easily (it should be tender enough for a fork to pierce with no resistance but still have some bounce) and sauce is reduced by three fourths (it should look thick and syrupy), 2–2½ hours. (If sauce is too sticky and has reduced too quickly by the time the pork is done, add ¼ cup water at a time as needed, bringing to a simmer between additions, until desired texture is reached. If sauce is not thick enough, remove lid and transfer pork belly to plates. Simmer sauce over medium, stirring constantly, until thickened, then spoon over pork.) Divide pork belly among plates; top with thinly sliced scallions. Serve with cooked white rice if desired.

Sake-And-Soy-Braised Pork Belly

Ingredients

Instructions