Chef Wang presents a "farmer's style" adaptation of Dong Po Pork Belly, focusing on achieving maximum tenderness while eliminating greasiness. The recipe utilizes high-quality, five-layered fatty pork belly, which is scorched and then tied with traditional grain straw. The pork is braised in a flavorful liquid featuring two full bottles of Shaoxing wine and apple slices—ingredients specifically chosen to break down fat and cut richness. Although a traditional slow braise was initially attempted, the process was expedited using a pressure cooker for 40 minutes to ensure an extremely soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, described as "like tofu." After significant fat skimming, the resulting dish is confirmed by Chef Wang’s Uncle to be rich in flavor and collagen but notably non-greasy.
Chef Wang’s Super Tender Dong Po Pork Belly (农家版“东坡肉”)
0:12 Pork Preparation: The recipe starts with high-quality, fatty pork belly (ideally with 5 layers) selected for maximum tenderness. The skin is scorched over a gas flame (0:33) and scraped clean, a technique ensuring a glutinous texture.
1:53 Cutting the Meat: The pork is cut into six large, generous pieces, reminiscent of the meat portions described in Water Margin (Liangshan heroes) (2:31).
2:39 Supporting Ingredients: Smoked bamboo shoots and dried long beans (cowpeas) are included for added flavor and texture.
3:14 Traditional Tying: The pork chunks are tied with soaked grain straw (Gu Cao) to hold their shape during cooking, a traditional method that requires pliability.
3:37 Greasiness Reduction Technique: A crucial step is adding an apple to the braising liquid (3:37) to help cut the greasiness of the very fatty pork.
5:04 Initial Braise Setup: The pork is blanched, and the fresh broth is saved as the stock base (5:59). Spices (cassia, star anise, bay leaves, peppercorn, dried chili) are sautéed with the ginger and vegetables before the broth and pork are added.
7:42 Use of Wine: The braising liquid is heavily enriched with two full bottles of Shaoxing wine (7:44), which is essential for flavor and breaking down the fat. Dark soy sauce (pre-mixed with rock sugar) is used for coloring.
8:47 Traditional Goal: The initial plan was to braise on barely simmering heat for 2.5 to 3 hours, skimming excess oil halfway through (9:05).
9:17 Recipe Adjustment (Pressure Cooking): Due to the length of the traditional method and the desire for maximum tenderness quickly, the cook switches to a pressure cooker for 40 minutes (9:33) to finish the meat.
10:38 Post-Cook Skimming: After pressure cooking, a large volume of rendered fat (estimated half a kilo) is skimmed off the top surface to ensure the dish is rich but not cloying (10:45).
13:40 Key Takeaway – Texture: The final product is extremely tender, described as "as soft as tofu pudding" (13:49) and tearing into fine strands (13:32).
14:14 Key Takeaway – Flavor: The Uncle confirms that the fatty pork, thanks to the cooking process (wine/apple/skimming), is "not greasy at all" (14:48), but instead has a smooth, fragrant, and silky texture (15:30).
16:17 Cooking Philosophy: Chef Wang quotes Su Dongpo’s "Ode to Pork" ("Use less water, cook with low fire...") confirming the philosophy behind slow, meticulous cooking to achieve natural flavor.