Slow Braised Pork Belly with Tiger Skin Eggs

Welcome to one of my all-time favorite comfort food recipes! If you’re looking for a dish that is deeply savory, incredibly aromatic, and guaranteed to impress, you’ve come to the right place. This slow-braised pork belly is a masterpiece of flavor and texture. While it requires a couple of hours of simmering to reach perfection, the active preparation time is minimal, and the process is surprisingly straightforward, even for novice cooks. We’ll use a classic technique of caramelizing sugar to create a beautiful, deep mahogany color and a subtle sweetness that perfectly balances the rich pork. The end result is fork-tender pork that literally melts in your mouth, springy quail eggs that have soaked up all the delicious sauce, and slightly smoky peppers, all coated in a glossy, irresistible glaze. It’s the perfect project for a lazy weekend afternoon, filling your kitchen with the most incredible aromas.

To get started, let’s gather our ingredients. The list might seem long, but many of these are pantry staples or can be easily found. Don’t worry, I’ll provide plenty of substitution tips!

For the Main Ingredients:

• Pork Belly: About 2 lbs (900g), preferably skin-on, cut into 1.5-inch thick slices.
• Quail Eggs: 12-15, hard-boiled and peeled. If you can’t find quail eggs, you can use 4-5 regular chicken eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and halved.
• Long Green Peppers: 3-4. Jalapeños or Anaheim peppers are an excellent substitute if you can’t find long green peppers.

For the Braising Liquid & Aromatics:

• Rock Sugar: 3 tablespoons. Rock sugar gives a cleaner, more complex sweetness and a better glaze. You can substitute with granulated white sugar.
• Light Soy Sauce: 4 tablespoons. This is your primary source of saltiness and umami. It’s thinner and lighter in color than dark soy sauce.
• Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon. This is mainly for color, giving the dish its signature rich, reddish-brown hue. It’s thicker and less salty than light soy sauce.
• Shaoxing Cooking Wine: 3 tablespoons. This adds depth and helps remove any gaminess from the pork. Dry sherry is the best substitute.
• Spices:
  • 2 Star Anise
  • 1 small Cinnamon Stick
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Sichuan Peppercorns
  • 1 Black Cardamom (Cao Guo), optional
  • 2 slices Angelica Dahurica root (Bai Zhi), optional
  • (Note: Black Cardamom and Angelica Dahurica can be found at most Asian markets and add a wonderful smoky and herbal depth. However, the dish will still be absolutely delicious without them!)
• Aromatics:
  • 4-5 slices of fresh Ginger
  • 3-4 Scallions, cut into 2-inch segments
  • 5-6 cloves of Garlic, lightly smashed
• Seasonings:
  • Salt, to taste
  • MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), optional, 1/2 teaspoon for an umami boost. You can also use mushroom powder or simply omit.
• Oil: 2-3 tablespoons, for frying.
• Hot Water: About 4-5 cups.

Now for the fun part! Follow these steps closely, and you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular meal.

1. First, we’ll make the caramel for the braising liquid. Add a little oil to a wok or pot over medium-low heat. Add the rock sugar and let it melt slowly. It will start to bubble. When you see large, thick bubbles, immediately remove the pot from the heat and continue to stir with the residual heat.
2. Keep stirring until the sugar syrup turns into a beautiful, deep枣红色 (jujube red) or amber color.
3. Let it cool for just a moment, then carefully and slowly pour in about 1 cup of hot water. Be cautious as it will steam and bubble vigorously! Putting the pot back on the heat, stir until all the caramel has dissolved into the water. Your caramel color base is now ready. Set it aside.
4. Cut your pork belly into large, thick slices, about 1.5 inches wide.
5. In a clean pan with a little oil, pan-fry the pork belly slices over medium heat until both sides are golden brown and some of the fat has rendered out. This step creates a fantastic texture. Remove the pork and set aside.
6. In the same pan, using the rendered pork fat, fry the peeled, hard-boiled quail eggs until their surfaces blister and turn golden brown, creating a “tiger skin” texture that will help them absorb the sauce. Remove and set aside.
7. Do the same with the long green peppers, frying them until the skin is blistered and slightly charred. Set them aside with the eggs.
8. Wipe the pan clean. Without any oil, add all your dry spices (star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, etc.) and toast them over low heat for a minute or two until fragrant.
9. Add a small amount of oil to the pan with the toasted spices. Add the ginger, scallions, and garlic, and stir-fry for about a minute until their aromas are released.
10. Return the golden-brown pork belly slices to the pan. Toss everything together and then pour in the Shaoxing cooking wine, letting it sizzle and deglaze the pan.
11. Pour in the caramel water you made earlier. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and enough hot water to just cover the pork. If you like it spicy, now is the time to add a few dried red chilies. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and let it cook uncovered on high heat for 5 minutes.
12. Cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours. The longer it simmers, the more tender the pork will be.
13. Uncover the pot and add the “tiger skin” quail eggs and peppers. Add salt to taste and the optional MSG. Stir gently, then continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Finally, turn the heat up to medium-high and reduce the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it thickens into a beautiful, glossy glaze that coats every piece of pork and every egg.

And there you have it! The moment you take your first bite, you’ll understand why this dish is so beloved. The pork is impossibly tender, the fat has rendered down into a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the lean meat has absorbed all the complex, savory-sweet flavors of the braising liquid. The quail eggs are like little flavor bombs, and the smoky, soft peppers provide a perfect counterpoint to the richness of the meat. Serve it hot over a bed of steamed rice, allowing the extra sauce to soak into the grains. This isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience. I truly hope you give this recipe a try. Don’t be daunted by the steps—each one builds a layer of flavor that contributes to the stunning final product. When you make it, I’d love to hear how it went. Feel free to share your thoughts or any creative twists you added in the comments below!