Drunken pork belly 紅燒醉肉

Green ginger wine makes a great refreshing cocktail with lime and fizzy water. I also use it for oriental cooking.when I am out of Chinese cooking wine. Stone's is nice. I also like ~~Lidl's~~ (silly me! just remember it's Aldi not lidl) own brand but it is only available around Christmas time.

This stewed pork recipe was created when I had a bottle of old ginger wine to use up quickly. I was pleased how flavourful it was. It's similar to hong shao rou but packed with wine flavour.

900g - 1kg pork belly* with skin, in slices or cut into large chunks
a chunk of ginger sliced
2 - 3 star anise
1 small piece of cassia bark (cinnamon)
1 regular bunch of spring onion (scallion) cut into 12 - 15cm long
2.5 tbsp dark soy
4 tbsp light soy
1 tbsp Chinkiang rice vinegar
about 1/2 - 2/3 bottle of green ginger wine (Stone's or supermarket own brand)

*You can also use half belly and half spare ribs.
** I don't normally add garlic with this stewed pork, I find garlic is too strong masking the flavour of the ginger wine. If you really want to add garlic, add few whole cloves with the skin on.

Blanch pork in boiling water for about 1 - 2 min till meat has turned white. Remove and rinse under the tap to remove any scum.

Take a medium size pot that will hold all the pork (preferably clay pot or heavy bottom pot). Line the pot with all the spring onion then the ginger slices and the rest of of the spices. Lastly lay the pork pieces on top.

Add dark, light soy and vinegar. Finally pour in enough ginger wine to almost cover the meat.

Gently bring the temperature of liquid to near boiling at medium heat. Keep your eye on it, do not let it boil over. Cover with the lid ajar (to let the liquid reduce) and simmer at low heat for about 2 hours or till the meat has become very tender. Regular checks to ensure the liquid is not boiling over and turning the meat pieces if necessary to immerse in the sauce. If liquid is drying up too fast add more wine or water during simmering.