Shanghai-Style Red-Braised Pork with Braised Eggs

Method

1. Bring water to the boil in a 16 cm pan, lower in room-temperature eggs with a ladle and cook on medium heat for 8 min until hard-boiled. Cool them in cold water, peel and score each with 3 or 4 shallow cuts so the sauce can soak in.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   medium heat

2. Singe off any hairs on the pork skin over a gas flame or scrape them away with a knife, then cut into 4 cm squares (mahjong-tile size). Put the pork in a 20 cm pot with part of the ginger, spring onions and Shaoxing wine, cover with cold water, bring to the boil on high heat and cook for 4 min to clean it. Rinse in warm water, scrape any white film off the skin and dry thoroughly.

   Add in this stepSkin-on pork belly of even thickness 400 gSlices of fresh ginger 1½Spring onions, tied in knots 0.6Shaoxing wine (aged 5 years or more if possible) ¾ tbsp

   high heat

3. Heat the oil in a 28 cm wok and lay the pork in skin-side down. Sear on medium heat for 5 min until the skin blisters and turns golden, then brown the other sides. It spits a lot, so hold a splatter guard or lid at an angle over it. Lift out the pork and leave just 1 tablespoon of fat.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil 1 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Add most of the rock sugar and melt it on low heat for 3 min into a deep amber caramel, then add the pork and toss quickly to give it a red coat. Stop just before it burns to avoid bitterness.

   Add in this stepRock sugar 28 g

   low heat

5. Pour the rest of the Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok, then add the remaining ginger and spring onions, star anise, cassia, bay leaves, dried chillies, light and dark soy sauce and the hot water. Transfer everything to a 18 cm clay pot or heavy casserole, bring to the boil on high heat, then turn down to low heat, cover and braise for 1 h 30 min. Add the eggs halfway through and roll them occasionally so they colour evenly. The pork is done when it splits easily with a chopstick.

   Add in this stepShaoxing wine (aged 5 years or more if possible) 3¼ tbspSlices of fresh ginger 3½Spring onions, tied in knots 1.4Star anise 1Cassia bark (5 cm) 1Bay leaves 2Dried red chillies 1Light soy sauce 1½ tbspDark soy sauce 1½ tspHot water 550 ml

   high heat→low heat

6. Tip the pork, eggs and sauce back into the wok, pick out the spices, add the rest of the rock sugar and reduce on medium-high heat for 7 min. When large, sticky bubbles rise and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, taste and season with salt. Halve the eggs, plate them with the pork and spoon over the glaze.

   Add in this stepRock sugar 7 gSalt to taste

   medium-high heat