CHINESE STYLE CINNAMON PORK BELLY

Name: Chinese Style Cinnamon Pork Belly
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: PT2.5H
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 12 oz Pork belly with a fat layer on top; 1-inch length green onions (about 6-8 pieces); 1 Star Anise; 1 tbs. Brown sugar; 1 tbs. Soy sauce; 1 tbs. sweet cooking rice wine; 1 bay leaf; 1/4 tsp Ginger powder; 1.75 cups water; 1/2 tsp. salt

chinese style pork belly
MEDIA GALLERY

A fabulous Chinese style melt in your mouth pork belly with Ceylon Cinnamon, Star Anise, brown sugar and a few simple ingredients. It does not get better than this. The infusion of Ceylon Cinnamon powder and Star Anise gives this recipe the top note and that intoxicating aroma which is amplified with brown sugar, soy sauce and some sweet cooking rice wine. The aroma is incredible, the taste is rich and decadent and it looks fabulous.

Prep Time : 30 Minutes
Cook Times : 2.5 hours
Yield : 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

12 oz Pork belly with a fat layer on top
1 inch length green onions (about 6-8 pieces)
1/2 tsp. Ceylon Cinnamon powder
1 Star Anise
1 tbs. Brown sugar
1 tbs. Soy sauce
1 tbs. sweet cooking rice wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp Ginger powder
1.75 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

Slightly freeze the pork Belly (about 15 minutes) and then cut into a 3.25 x 3.25 inch block which should give you a 12 oz piece. Tie the pork belly with string. This is done to retain the shape of the pork belly when cooking.
Heat a skillet on medium heat and lightly roast the top layer of fat. About 2-3 minutes. This is to seal the fat so it will not melt while cooking. If you wish you can also slightly roast all the other sides to prevent the pork fat from melting into oil while cooking.
Get a small pan that will fit the pork Belly with an inch of space on either side. Then add 1.75 cups water, the Ceylon Cinnamon powder, Star Anise, Brown sugar, Ginger powder, 1/2 tsp salt and place the Pork belly in the middle. Drizzle the whole thing with the soy sauce and finally the rice wine vinegar. Add bay leaf and green onion,, cover and simmer for 90 minutes on the lowest heat setting.
After 90 minutes take out pork Belly, place in a small ceramic pan, (we used a soup bowl) add back the juice, cover with foil and then place the whole pan in steaming pan and steam for 60 minutes on medium heat.
Remove from steamer, plate it by pouring the sauce over the Pork belly and garnish with some finely cut red bell pepper and parsley to give it some flair and serve over rice and vegetables.

WHY CEYLON CINNAMON

Unlike ordinary Cassia Cinnamon found in stores, Ceylon Cinnamon has low levels of Coumarin, making it a safer choice for regular Cinnamon tea drinkers as it doesn't pose a risk to the liver. Additionally, Ceylon Cinnamon has a milder and slightly sweeter taste compared to store-bought Cassia Cinnamon. It carries hints of cloves and citrus, accompanied by a wonderful subtle aroma.

The subtle nature of Ceylon Cinnamon contributes to the creation of more complex flavors. In this dish, you would never be able to tell that Ceylon Cinnamon is present, unlike Cassia Cinnamon, which tends to be harsh and immediately makes its presence felt, often negatively impacting the recipe.