Braised Pork Belly with Fermented Red Tofu

Braised Pork Belly with Fermented Red Tofu

　　Ingredients: 500g pork belly, 400g taro.

　　　　Seasonings: white spirit, salt, soy sauce, sugar, fermented red tofu, peanut oil, scallions, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, and cornstarch.

　　　　Method:

　　　　1. Scrape the impurities off the pork skin, boil it in a pot until fully cooked, then remove. While hot, brush the skin with soy sauce, place it skin-side down in hot oil to fry until colored, then transfer to a basin of cold water to soften (about ten minutes). Slice into 4mm-thick large strips.

　　　　2. Slice the taro into 4mm-thick pieces. Mix the fermented red tofu with its original liquid. Finely chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic.

　　　　3. Heat the peanut oil, sauté the scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Then stir-fry the fermented red tofu briefly, add the pork slices and stir-fry for a moment. Pour in the broth, white spirit, salt, soy sauce (not too much), and sugar. Once the broth boils, reduce to low heat and simmer until tender.

　　　　4. Deep-fry the taro slices in peanut oil until cooked.

　　　　 5. Remove the cooked pork, arrange it in a bowl alternating with taro slices, pour in the original broth, and steam until fully cooked. When serving, drain the broth, invert the pork onto a plate, and bring the original broth to a boil.

　　Thicken it with cornstarch to make a gravy, pour over the pork, and serve.

　　　　Characteristics: The meat is tender, flavorful, rich but not greasy, with a slightly sweet taste amid the saltiness. If taro is unavailable, potatoes can be used as a substitute.