Tender pork belly and quail eggs simmer into a glossy, sweet-savory oyster sauce braise with string beans for crunch.
2 hours · Serves 6
Ingredients for Pork and Quail Eggs in Oyster Sauce
700 g pork belly, diced
24 quail eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
1 bunch string beans, sliced into 2-inch sections
4 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Sichuan Doubanjiang or broad bean paste
4 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 1/2 cups water
2 inches ginger, thinly sliced
3 stalks spring onions, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons oil
How to cook Pork and Quail Eggs in Oyster Sauce
1.Put the diced pork belly in boiling water and blanch for a few minutes, skimming off foam as it rises. Drain the pork and set aside.
2.Set a clay pot or heavy Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil and the white sugar, stirring until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
3.Add the blanched pork belly, Chinese cooking wine, ginger slices, spring onions, and garlic, stirring to coat the meat in the caramel.
4.Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Sichuan Doubanjiang, and five-spice powder. Pour in 2 1/2 cups water, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, until the pork is tender.
5.Add the peeled quail eggs and let them heat in the braising liquid.
6.Remove the scallions and ginger, then mash the softened garlic into the sauce. Turn the heat to high, add the string beans, and stir constantly for about 5 minutes until the beans are crisp-tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.
