Steamed Sliced Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetable (咸烧白 / 梅菜扣肉) is a steamed dish with plenty of fat and meat. It's salty and fragrant. You don't feel it's greasy if the dish is prepared well and served warm. The pork belly slices have a very soft texture, which makes it popular among seniors and young children. When it's ready, the pork belly has a gold brown color while the preserved vegetable is dark brown.
Some variations exist due to different taste preference in different regions in China. In Sichuan, usually Sichuan Peppercorns and dried chili pepper will be added in the ingredients to have small trace of spicy and numbing effect.
Preparation Time: 30 minute
Cook Time: 30 minute
Ingredients:
1. Pork Belly with Skin: 500g
2. Preserved Vegetable (宜宾芽菜或冬菜）: 200g
3. Soy Sauce (老抽） - 20g
4. Salt - 10g or to your taste
5. Sugar - 5g
6. Dried Chili Pepper - 1 or 2
7. Sichuan Pepper - 5g
8. Ginger Slice - 20g
9. Peeled Garlic - 1
10. Scallion - 10g
Instructions
1. Simmering the Pork Belly with Skin in the boiling water for 10 minutes; Put the meat in the refrigerator till it's firm (5-20 minutes); Cut the meat into thick slices (about 3-5 mm think);
2. Put the pork belly slices into a big bowl (please refer to the photo for how to arrange the meat) and apply the soy sauce onto the surface of the slices;
3. Add the preserved vegetables on top of the pork belly
4. Add Suger, Ginger Slices, Garlic, Sichuan Pepper, Dried Chili Pepper and Scallion pieces on top of the preserved vegetable；
5. Put into a Steamer with high heat and steam for 60 - 90 minutes
6. Get the bowl out and cover the bowl with a big plate or bigger bowl and then turn both bowls (bowl and plate) upside down; Remove the original bowl and it's ready to serve