braising potatoes with pork belly

Braised Pork Belly and Potatoes: A Hearty Homemade Guide

Braised pork belly and potatoes is a comforting, soul-satisfying dish beloved worldwide. Its magic lies in the tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork and the creamy, savory potatoes, all swimming in a rich, umami-rich sauce. Here’s a simple yet delicious recipe to recreate it at home.

Ingredients:

500g pork belly, cut into 2cm cubes; 3 potatoes, peeled and halved; 1 onion, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 cup water or broth; 2 tbsp cooking oil; 1 star anise (optional).

Steps:

1. Sear the pork: Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Add pork belly and cook until browned on all sides, rendering excess fat. Remove and set aside.

2. Sauté aromatics: In the same pot, sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. Return pork, then add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar, stirring to coat evenly.

3. Simmer: Pour in water/broth, add star anise if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Add potatoes: Nestle potatoes among the pork. Cover and cook for 15–20 more minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and the sauce thickens.

5. Serve: Discard star anise. Garnish with green onions and enjoy hot with steamed rice.

Tips: For extra flavor, marinate pork in soy sauce and ginger for 30 minutes before searing. Adjust sugar/salt to taste. This dish tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld!