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Title: Lap Yuk (Chinese Cured Pork Belly)
Categories: Pork, Herbs, Sauces, Booze
Yield: 16 servings

3 sl Ginger
4 Bay leaves
2 Star anise
2 Cinnamon sticks
1 ts Sichuan peppercorns
1 tb Salt
1/3 c Dark soy sauce
1/2 c Light soy sauce
1 c Shaoxing wine
3/4 c Sugar
3 1/2 lb Boneless pork belly
3 tb Baijiu (Chinese liquor; can
- substitute whiskey)

In a small saucepan, add the ginger, bay leaves, star
anise, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, soy sauces,
Shaoxing wine, and sugar. Place the pot over medium
heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to
dissolve the sugar. The process should only take a few
minutes. Shut off the heat and allow to cool completely.

While waiting for the sauce to cool, rinse the pork
belly and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. The pork
should be as dry as possible. Arrange the pieces neatly
in a shallow, rimmed dish.

Once the sauce has completely cooled, stir in the baijiu
or whiskey. Pour the mixture over the pork, making sure
the meat is completely submerged. You can even put a
clean plate or bowl on top to weight down the meat.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3 full days, flipping
the pork belly once each day to ensure the sauce
penetrates the meat evenly.

After 3 days, it’s time to hang them up to cure. Use
kitchen string and a bamboo skewer to thread the string
through the fat in the pork belly. Tie a knot to make a
sturdy loop, and hang the pork belly in a cool dry
place. I used our basement, which has optimal
temperature and humidity levels (you want the
temperature to remain around 50-55°F (10-13°C), and the
relative humidity should be around 65%. I kept the
window open during the day to let in fresh air. Note:
this cured pork belly is best made during the colder
months!

Layer some newspaper on the floor to catch any liquid
that drips from the pork, and let it dry for 4 to 6 days
until the outer layer is completely dry and the inside
is still slightly soft when pressed. To store, put in a
freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.

To prepare this pork belly in the most simple (and
delicious) way, just add rice and water to your rice
cooker as you normally would to cook a batch of white
rice. Then just toss a piece of pork belly on top and
steam as normal. Once the rice is done steaming, your
pork belly will also be heated through. Slice it up and
mix it with your rice!

By: Judy Yee

MAKES: 16 servings

RECIPE FROM: https://thewoksoflife.com

Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen

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