Thermal Cooker Braised Pork Belly 焖烧锅卤三层肉

Succulent braised pork belly slow-cook in energy efficient thermal cooker.

As the liquid is served as a reservoir of heat energy to cook the meat to soft without external heating. It is typical to end up with a surplus amount of gravy using the thermal cooker to cook. Don't discard the extra gravy, save it up to cook another delicious dish another day :)

Appliances:

1.5L thermal cooker

Ingredients 

300~350g pork belly, cut in thick strip of about 3cm 

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed with skin on

1 corner of star aniseed

1 thick slice of ginger

2 hard boiled eggs

1 tbsp raw sugar

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp dark thick soya sauce 

Dash of five-spice powder

Salt to taste 

Directions

1. Cut pork belly into two big chunks. Pour boiling water into the bowl and allow it to stand for about 15 minutes before you drain away the water. Cover and set aside.

2. Heat up about 2 tsp of olive oil in a pot at medium high heat. Pour in the raw sugar to melt.

3. When the molten sugar turns dark brown, add in the ginger and garlic, followed by onion. Stir-fry till fragrant.

3. Lower the heat and pour in the oyster sauce and ark soy sauce.

4. Coat the two chunks of pork belly with the stir-fried ingredients and sprinkle some five-spice powder over.

5. Tranfer all the ingredients to the inner pot of the thermal cooker. Add water to submerge all the ingredients.

6. Place the hard boiled eggs in.

7. Partially cover with the lid and bring to a boil. After the ingredients start to boil, bring the heat down and allow them to simmer for 10 minutes.

8. After the simmer over the stove, cover the inner pot and transfer to the exterior pot. Let it stands for about 1 hour.

9. After 1 hour, transfer the inner pot to the stove ,to heat at low temperature, to almost boiling. Add salt and sugar to taste.

Finally, stir in the starch water to thicken the gravy slightly.

10. Return the inner pot to the exterior pot, and allow it to simmer for another 1 hour or more, or till serving.

11. Slice the braised pork belly and serve with warm rice and sweet vinegar chili sauce. Enjoy :P

Bonus dish

For the leftover gravy, you can keep in the fridge till needed. It's best to consume within 3 days.

1. Braised shiitake mushrooms 

Simmer the gravy with softened shiitake mushroom and pan-fried 豆干 using the thermal cooker for another delicious dish ><

2. Noodle in braised sauce

1. Blanch cooked noodle and bean sprouts with boiling water. Heat up seafood tofu cake together with the leftover braised sauce.

2. Pour the braised sauce and seafood tofu cakes into the bowl of noodle. 

Garnish with spring onion, Chinese coriander and cut chilli. Enjoy warm :)