Red-Braised Pork Belly

Cut the pork belly into 2.5–3 cm cubes. Place in a pot, cover with water so the meat is fully submerged, add half the ginger and 1 scallion. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam from the surface.

Drain the meat in a colander and rinse under hot water to remove any remaining foam; reserve the cooking liquid, as you'll need it for braising.

In a dry, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the sugar with the oil over low heat, gently swirling the pan rather than stirring with a spoon, until the caramel turns amber, about 3–4 minutes.

Add the drained pork to the caramel and sear over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes, turning the pieces, until evenly coated with the glaze.

Pour in the Shaoxing wine, stir, scraping up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan, and let it cook off for 1–2 minutes. Add 500 ml of water or the reserved stock, the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, star anise, and the remaining ginger and scallion. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape, and braise for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender.

Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium and simmer the sauce for another 10–15 minutes, until it thickens to a glossy consistency and coats each piece of meat.

Season with salt to taste, transfer to a serving plate, and serve hot.