Braised Pork Belly & Eggs (滷肉加蛋)

Told Tak I planned to cook braised pork last night, he asked "Is it the one your mum cooked before, with the fatty pork?" He loved it when my mum cooked it during Chinese New Year 2 years ago. I love it too actually but it is too fatty so I seldom cook it. I can eat a lot of rice with the gravy... like in the photo, mountain of steamed rice I ate. This is one of my mum's signature's dishes, all my family members like it very much. My brother and brother-in-law able to eat 4-5 eggs in one go!

I like to cooked it with chunky pieces of pork belly then slice it up just before serving. It tastes nicer that way, juicy. Tak told me to cook more as it tastes better the next day.

Ingredients (4-5 servings):

• 600gm pork belly, sliced thickly
• 2 head garlic, crushed lightly with knife
• 3 bulb shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anises
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 3-4 cups hot water
• Salt to taste
• 6 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Sear all side of pork in a non-stick pan.
2. Heat oil in a wok on medium heat. Add in garlic, shallot, sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add in seared pork and dark soy sauce. Stir fry until the sauce and juice from the pork is reduced.
4. Add in hot water, just enough to cover the meat. Bring to boil.
5. Add in hard boiled eggs and let it simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir a few times in between, be gentle and not to break the eggs.
6. Add salt to taste and let it simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. Stir once or twice in between. Ready to serve.

Note:

1. Adjust the amount of garlic, cinnamon and star anise to suit your taste.
2. Dried mushroom, chestnuts and pork tongue also taste great in this pot.