Sweet pork is a very popular dish at Hmong family gatherings. This is a popular dish in Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, and the Phillippines. I will show you how I make my version of sweet pork. It's very simple and easy! We call this in Hmong nqaj qaab zib or nqaij qab zib.
I'll be very straight forward and honest, no one was willing to teach me this recipe. Everytime I asked someone to show me how they made this dish, they would tell me it was very hard and complicated or they would tell me only half of the recipe. So for many years, I experimented and tried different ways. I felt really bad asking for other people's recipes because some people don't want to give it away. That's okay, I respect that. So I went on my own food journey and tried making sweet pork. I failed miserably many, many times. The first time I made it, I put too much sugar and it came out like candied bacon. Hahaha! The second time I made it, it was way too salty. The third time I made it, it tasted great but had no caramel color, it looked like boiled pork only. As the story goes, many pounds of pork belly, sugar, and soy sauce later .... I finally resulted in this recipe which I use whenever I get a sweet pork craving. Haha, do let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions how you make it. I'm very interested to know how you make your sweet pork recipe!
Sweet Pork Ingredients:
- 4 cups pork belly, sliced
- 7 eggs
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3-5 pieces of star anise
- 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1 thumb ginger, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed tight
- water, lots of it
- 1 tbsp oil
- additional soy sauce for browning eggs
- Marinate the pork belly in soy sauce and oyster sauce. Set aside.
- Boil the eggs. Then remove the eggshell when done.
- In a large pot, add oil. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir until brown. Add the brown sugar.
- When the sugar is melted, add the pork belly marinade including juices and all.
- Stir for a few minutes until the pork gets slightly white. Then add 4 cups water or more until the pork is all covered.
- Cook for 1 hour or more. For more tender pork, keep adding water and cook 2 hrs or longer. You can add the star anise at any time.
- The water will evaporate. When it reaches the thickness you like, remove from heat and serve.
Remember, you can always adjust the taste by adding water, increasing or decreasing the amount of sugar or soy sauce!
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please leave me a comment if you try it or have any questions!
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