As we mentioned in our Chinese New Year Menu post (2015), Braised Pork Belly with Arrowroot or cí gū mèn nan ròu in Mandarin 慈菇焖腩肉 (the dish’s name really rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) is a must-have dish in our house for Chinese New Year. In Cantonese dialect, Bill’s family has always called it “see goo mun fay gee yook” which literally means “arrowroot braised with fat pork meat” which strikes a culinary cord with him every time Chinese New Year rolls around. All the more reason why we also have it in our Chinese New Year recipe list for 2016 and in our Chinese New Year Recipe Planner archive!
This Cantonese style braised pork belly is one of Bill’s absolute favorites or all pork belly recipes—it’s somewhat similar to our Red Cooked Pork recipe, but it gets an extra dimension of flavor from the addition of fermented bean curd (as is usually the case with these things, it tastes better than it sounds) and the unique flavor of the arrowroot.
When we first got married, my mother-in-law would always ask me to eat arrowroot during Chinese New Year. I had no idea why, until Bill told me the real reason, which is that according to Cantonese tradition, they’re supposed to “help” you have sons. Considering the fact that we ended up with two daughters, I’m not so sure how reliable that advice really was.
Okay, putting aside the bizarre story and my mother-in-law’s dashed hopes, this Cantonese style braised pork belly with Chinese arrowroot is just a great dish. Arrowroot is available now in Asian markets, and you better get there fast if you want to give them a try! I’ve only seen them around the winter months. Any other time of year, I can’t find them—not even in cans. Their texture is almost like a cross between a potato and a water chestnut, and if you really can’t find them, you can substitute potatoes in this dish (especially if you’re not particular about wanting to bear sons).
Let’s get started. You’ll need:
- 2 lbs (about 1 kg) pork belly
- 10 arrowroots (or 2 – 3 large potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2/3 oz. (20g) rock sugar
- 2 large pieces red fermented bean curd, 红腐乳 (you might see it labeled as “bean cheese) w/ 1 tablespoon of the liquid from the jar
- 1/4 cup shaoxing wine
- 1 ½ teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 5 cups water
For the fermented bean curd, make sure you’re buying the RED kind, because there’s also one that’s white. We buy this brand in a clay pot:
You can also get this red bean curd in regular jars:
Cut pork belly into large (0.75” x 1.5”) chunks. Cutting them larger means they’ll take a little longer to cook, but it’s symbolic of wealth and prosperity for the new year. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and blanch the meat just until it turns opaque. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
Peel the arrowroots. It’s almost like peeling an apple; just trim off the top and bottom, and peel the outer skin. Immediately drop each peeled root into a bowl of cold water to prevent oxidation. If using potatoes, you’re going to want to cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks, but don’t cut them just yet (they take less time to cook than the arrowroot).
When you’re ready to cook, take the roots out of the bowl of water and cut each in half.
Heat the oil in a wok over low heat and add the rock sugar.
Let it melt slowly and then add the fermented bean curd/liquid. Stir for a minute.
Now add the blanched pork belly and arrowroots (if using potatoes, do not add them yet).
Turn the heat to medium and mix everything well. Add the shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and 2 cups of water. Stir everything together and cover the lid. Simmer over medium low heat.
Check the pot every 5-10 minutes; as the liquid evaporates, add more water 1 cup at a time, stir, and replace the lid. Continue doing that until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce is thickened enough to coat the pork. In my case, it took 5 cups of water, and about 1 hour and 15 minutes to fully cook the pork and arrowroot. If using potatoes, cut them into chunks and stir them in after the pork has cooked for about 45 minutes.
If the braised pork belly is fork tender, but there’s still a lot of visible liquid, uncover the wok and turn up the heat to medium high. Stir constantly until the sauce is reduced to a gravy-like state. You can see how the sauce turned into a rich color after it has been stewed and the liquid has been reduced.
Serve your Cantonese Style Braised Pork Belly with Arrowroot with lots of rice and a vegetable, like stir-fried greens or broccoli.
It’s ready to serve on your Lunar New Year dinner table!
Now if these pictures don’t leave you wanting to make this Cantonese style braised pork belly recipe, then maybe a easy roast pork belly is what you need.
- 2 lbs (about 1 kg) pork belly
- 10 arrowroots (or 2 - 3 large potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ⅔ oz. (20g) rock sugar
- 2 large pieces red fermented bean curd, ??? (you might see it labeled as “bean cheese) w/ 1 tablespoon of the liquid from the jar
- ¼ cup shaoxing wine
- 1 ½ teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 5 cups water
- Cut pork belly into large (0.75” x 1.5”) chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and blanch the meat just until it turns opaque. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Peel the arrowhead roots. Just trim off the top and bottom, and peel the outer skin. Immediately drop each peeled root into a bowl of cold water to prevent oxidation. If using potatoes, you're going to want to cut them into 1½-inch chunks, but don't cut them just yet (they take less time to cook than the arrowroot).
- When you’re ready to cook, take the arrowroots out of the bowl of water and cut each in half. Heat the oil in a wok over low heat and add the rock sugar. Let it melt slowly and then add the fermented bean curd/liquid. Stir for a minute. Now add the blanched pork belly and arrowhead roots (if using potatoes, do not add them yet).
- Turn the heat to medium and mix everything well. Add the shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and 2 cups of water. Stir everything together and cover the lid. Simmer over medium low heat.
- Check the pot every 5-10 minutes. As the liquid evaporates, add more water 1 cup at a time and replace the lid. Continue doing that until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce is thickened enough to coat the pork. In my case, it took 5 cups of water, and about 1 hour and 15 minutes to fully cook the pork and arrowhead root. If using potatoes, cut them into chunks and stir them in after the pork has cooked for about 45 minutes.
- If the pork is fork tender, but there’s still a lot of visible liquid, uncover the wok and turn up the heat to medium high. Stir constantly until the sauce is reduced to a gravy-like state.
George Chong says
This was so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe along with happy memories of eating this dish!
Judy says
Hi George, Bill is constantly sharing those happy memories––often multiple times! Lucky you––you only have to hear it once haha :-)
Aundrey says
Hi all,
Just came across this recipe and tried it during CNY reunion dinner. It was brilliant.
I wonder if I could use pork trotter with this recipe. Do I need to add any extra ingredients or taking away some ingredients?
Thanks.
Judy says
Hi Aundrey, pork trotters take much longer to cook than pork belly. I think it’s a good idea to pre-boil them first. I have a pork trotter recipe that you might want to try.
Aundrey says
Thanks for the reply Judy. Will certainly try your pork trotter recipe..
Cheers.
Judy says
Hope you like it, Aundrey!
rick says
Thank you for this excellent site! I will be making this and the buddha’s treasure tomorrow.
Q: When you use Shaoxing wine in these posts, is the quantity based on salt-free wine? I am in quebec and they only sell the salted (1.5%) one, so I skipped the dark soy, just in case. Thanks again and bonne année!
Bill says
Hi Rick,
We use the saltier version of the Shaoxing wine so you should follow the recipe as written. Most of the salt actually comes from the fermented red bean curd. Make more rice, because you’re in for a treat :)
Peter says
Yum Yum … Just had braised belly pork tonight … On the question of fat, remove from heat 3/4 way through cooking, remove the meat, let it rest for a few minutes to allow fat to separate and just strain the fat from the juices … replace meat and continue cooking …
Judy says
Thank you, Peter, great input.
Rie says
Oh, to be able to find pork belly near by………I definitely have to hit that Asian market Sarah recommended in Poughkeepsie…By the time I get there, I’ll have a shopping list a mile long…..my mouth is watering just looking at the picture.
Judy says
Thank you, Rie, if you can’t find Pork Belly, use pork ribs and have the butcher cut them into 2″ pieces for you.
Jude says
Judy, you’ll think I’m crazy to not want to use pork belly but the layer of fat is just too thick (though I LOVE the pork rind). Is there a cut of leaner pork with the rind that would work equally well and still be tender enough?
And a question about woks – if anyone knows the answer, it’ll be one of you four cooking siblings! What would you recommend as a very good quality wok? I’ve seen some that are carbon steel and rust almost immediately unless washed and oiled before you get a chance to sit and eat your meal. The Teflon coated ones are definitely out as woks need to be smoking hot and I refuse to use any coated cookware. I’ve seen flimsy ‘stainless steel’ (that rusted still).
I really don’t know what constitutes a GOOD wok. I’d prefer not to pay an arm and leg for one either. Any suggestions, please?
Jude
Bill says
Hi Jude,
I am going to step in and answer this one because I so love this dish! Sometimes you can find a very lean cut of the pork belly but if the fat is still too much then I would suggest using pork ribs cut in half or even the country ribs that have more meat and just enough fat to make them real tasty. We have a wok post coming up soon so look out for it but our preference is definitely the basic carbon steel wok (I agree on your point about avoiding the Teflon coated ones). You have to be disciplined about putting the wok on the burner to dry it out after washing. If you’re familiar with using cast iron cookware, then you use the same technique.
Jude says
Thanks, Bill! I will look for your post on woks. Each one of The Woks of Life posts I get in my email is ALWAYS read.
I’m good about caring for my equipment and always look after my frying pan so no rust forms. I never wash it with soap either to maintain the seasoning. I guess the wok I had was cheap as it honestly would be forming rust when I finished the meal and went to wash it. But I’d cook liquid Asian foods in it and I only use my frying pan for frying. So I’ll be doubly sure to look for the wok posting!
Bill says
I have to comment on this dish because Judy did such a superb job and this was one of the tastiest versions I have ever had (hope my mom forgives me for saying that). The pork is so tender, the sauce is super tasty, and the arrowhead has such an great starchy/crunchy texture that hits the spot with some white rice! If you have never tried the arrowhead root and see it at your market, pick some up along with some pork belly and make this dish!