Fermented Tofu Braised Pork (腐乳红烧肉)

腐乳红烧肉

Fermented Tofu Braised Pork (腐乳红烧肉) — CantoneseGuangdong (广东) home cooking.

Ingredients

• pork belly, cut into 3 cm cubes
• red fermented bean curd (hóng fǔ rǔ), mashed
• ginger, sliced
• scallions, cut into 3 cm lengths
• light soy sauce
• Shaoxing wine
• rock sugar
• neutral oil

Instructions

1. Blanch pork cubes in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse. Pat dry. (Gray scum rises; water turns cloudy)
2. Mash red fermented bean curd into a smooth paste with the accompanying sauce. (Paste is deep crimson with visible silk strands)
3. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Sear pork on all sides until lightly golden (3-4 minutes). (Pork edges golden brown; fat rendering)
4. Add ginger and scallion. Stir 30 seconds. Add fermented bean curd paste, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and rock sugar. (Paste dissolves into a rich crimson sauce)
5. Add hot water to just cover the pork. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 60 minutes. Uncover and simmer 15 minutes to reduce sauce. (Gentle simmer; sauce is rich brown; pork is meltingly tender)