Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens
梅菜扣肉
Recipe overview
Pork belly and preserved greens steam slowly until tender, then invert into a classic home-style dish.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 800 g skin-on pork belly
- 200 g sweet preserved mustard greens
- 20 g ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
Sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 500 ml water
Other
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
02
Tools
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- heavy pot
- frying pan
- tongs
- steamer
- steaming rack
- heatproof shallow dish
- food thermometer
- oven mitts
03
Steps
Step 1
Soak and rinse greens
Soak preserved greens, rinse every fold and squeeze dry. Time: 15 minutes.
Step 2
Blanch pork belly
Start pork belly in cold water with ginger, boil until scum appears, then rinse. Time: 10 minutes.
Step 3
Brown the pork skin
Pat pork belly dry and sear skin-side down in a lightly oiled pan until golden. Time: 5 minutes.
Step 4
Slice pork belly
Cool pork belly slightly and cut into even 1 cm thick slices.
Step 5
Chop greens and aromatics
Chop the greens and finely mince the remaining ginger and garlic.
Step 6
Mix the braising sauce
Mix light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sugar and water.
Step 7
Saute the greens
Saute ginger and garlic, then add greens and cook until dry and fragrant. Time: 3 minutes.
Step 8
Coat pork with sauce
Coat every pork belly slice with the braising sauce.
Step 9
Arrange pork and greens
Pack pork slices skin-side down in a heatproof bowl, cover with greens and pour over remaining sauce.
Step 10
Steam until tender
Place the bowl in a boiling steamer, cover and steam over medium until tender. Time: 90 minutes.
Step 11
Check doneness
Probe the thickest pork belly slice and confirm it is fully cooked. The centre must reach 75°C.
Step 12
Invert, rest and serve
Carefully drain some sauce, invert onto a plate and spoon back enough cooked sauce. Time: 3 minutes.
Common mistakes
- Poorly rinsed greens can be salty or gritty.
- Loosely packed pork falls apart when inverted.
Tips
Browning the skin improves colour and texture.
Top up the steamer with boiling water if needed.
