Hong Ma

Ingredients for Hong Ma

• 1 kg boneless pork belly, whole slab
• 1 whole garlic bulb, crushed
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup Chinese cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, hydrated and sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 2 star anise
• 3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water
• 2 stalks spring onions, sliced
• Peanut oil

How to cook Hong Ma

1. 1.Mix crushed garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Marinate pork belly overnight; reserve the liquid.
2. 2.Drain and pat the pork dry. Sear skin-side down in smoking-hot peanut oil until golden, then remove.
3. 3.Lower heat and sauté minced garlic, shallots, and mushrooms until caramelized. Return pork skin-side up with marinade, water, star anise, and sugar.
4. 4.Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer very gently for 1½–2 hours until very tender, adding water if the liquid gets low.
5. 5.Cool and slice pork 1 cm thick. Strain braising liquid, simmer it with mushrooms, and thicken with cornstarch slurry.
6. 6.Adjust sauce with soy sauce and sugar if needed. Spoon sauce over pork and garnish with spring onions.