Chinese Cured Pork Belly (Chinese Bacon)

Making all kinds of preserved meat is a busy task for almost all housewives in China. We have a long family history to make our own cured pork and smoked pork.

Each year, around half month before the Winter Solstice, Chinese people begin to prepare foods for the coming year. Among those different Chinese Spring Festival foods, preserved meat is one of the most popular choice. The preserved meat can be very different based on the area. In Cantonese cuisine, pork belly wind drying after marinating in mixed soy sauce mixture(this vision is Cantonese). In central China like Hubei and Hunan, people just use salt as a marinating before drying. While in the western China, after basically salt marinating and wind drying, we smoke the pork with the branches of alamo. Traditional smoked has been losing its popularity in recently because of the health consideration. 

It is quite easy to make a air-cured pork belly in cold water days. So even you hate the winter wind because it hurts your smooth face, you should be quite grateful when eating this yummy cured pork.

• 450g pork belly, cut into 4cm long strips
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/3 cup Chinese Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 star anises
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 small cinnamon barks
• 2 tablespoons Chinese Baijiu(白酒)

In a small pot, add rice cooking wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, ginger, bay leaves, star anises, Sichuan pepper, sugar and cinnamon barks. Bring all the content to a boiling and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Move from the heat and cool down completely.

During this time, slice the pork belly into thin long strips and rinse to remove any dirt. Then dry it with kitchen paper. The meats should be as dry as possible as the water will spoil the pork belly.  Place the strips in an air-tight bag.

When the soy sauce mixture is completely cooled down, stir in Chinese Baijiu. Pour the sauce in the bag to marinate the pork belly 3 days.

Prepare thick cotton lines and a dull kitchen scissor, wrap the line over the scissor and pork through the pork belly around 1/3 from the top. Hang up for air-drying for 5-7 days. 

After 5-7 days air-frying, the rind becomes quite stiff while the inner side is still soft and white.

The most popular way to cook Chinese cured pork belly is to steam with rice (if you use a clay pot, then you get yourself clay pot rice). After steaming, they turn transparent.

Chinese Cured Pork Belly (Chinese Bacon)

Homemade Chinese air-cured pork belly, a quick and healthier way to make Chinese style persevered meat

5 from 3 votes

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Course: pantry

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Pork Belly

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Author: Elaine

Ingredients

• 450 g pork belly cut into 4cm long strips
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/3 cup Chinese Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1 thumb ginger sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 star anises
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 small cinnamon barks
• 2 tablespoons Chinese Baijiu

Instructions

• In a small pot, add rice cooking wine, soy sauce, ginger, bay leaves, star anises, Sichuan pepper, sugar and cinnamon barks. Bring all the content to a boiling and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Move from the heat and cool down completely.
• During this time, slice the pork belly into thin long strips and rinse to remove any dirt. Then dry it with kitchen paper. The meats should be as dry as possible. The water will spoil the pork belly. Place the strips in a air-tight bag. If you use a container, make sure the pork belly is completely soaked by marinating sauce otherwise you need to turn them over every day.
• When the soy sauce mixture is completely cooled down, stir in Chinese Baijiu. Pour the sauce in the bag to marinate the pork belly 3 days.
• Then prepare thick cotton lines and dull kitchen scissor, wrap the line over the scissor and pork through the pork belly around 1/3 from the top. Hang up for air-drying for 5-7 days. After 5-7 days air-frying, the rind becomes quite stiff while the inner side is still soft and white.
• How to keep: you can freeze them in air-tight bag up to 1 month.

How to cook this cured pork belly?

You can use it directly as normal meat in stir fry dishes or cook yourself a warm pot of rice or wrap a lo mai gai in a lotus leaf. The two recipes can be posted on the blog in following two weeks. Stay turned and well prepared!