Pork bellyIt is a type of Chinese preserved meat, mainly popular in Sichuan, Hunan, and Guangdong provinces. Because it is typically preserved in December of the lunar calendar, it is called "pork belly" and is a must-have food for the New Year.

As a southerner, I have never eaten or seen pork belly before.Although logistics are now very convenient, you can find pork belly in supermarkets or online stores all over the world, but I don't want to buy too much for fear of not being able to eat it later, and the pork belly sold outside usually takes longer to preserve, so the quality always feels not good. So I thought of making it myself. I searched on the versatile website "Wanmei Hao Dou" and saw some recipes for making pork belly by my predecessors, so I quickly learned it. Now I can make as much pork belly as I want at home whenever I want, which is really convenient.

Because it was my first time making pork belly, I was worried about not being able to do it well, so I only made 750 grams. In fact, it's not difficult at all. You just need to marinate the meat, let it dry, and then place it in a cool place to dry. It's simple and doesn't interfere with other tasks.

　　IngredientsMain ingredients:Pork belly750g, salt 25gSoy sauce45g, old soy sauce 35g, white sugar 15g, white wine 15gStar aniseAs neededSichuan peppercornsAs needed

Steps

1. Wash and peel the pork belly, add salt.

2. Apply salt evenly, place in a well-ventilated area to dry naturally for 2 hours.

3. Place salt, soy sauce, old soy sauce, sugar, white wine, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, etc. in a bowl and mix well.

4. Place the dried pork belly in a clean container and pour in the prepared marinade.

5. Make sure the meat is completely submerged in the marinade.

6. Seal the container and refrigerate for 2 days, and be sure to turn it over halfway.

7. After marinating, you can also take out the meat and place it in a well-ventilated, shady place to dry naturally.

8. It takes about 3-7 days, and you will find that the meat becomes dry and hard. The longer it dries, the harder the texture.

Tips

If you don't peel the pork belly, the texture of the pork belly you make will be like chewing on (la, which means dried meat).

After applying salt, placing it in a well-ventilated area to dry naturally is to extract moisture from the meat and prevent it from rotting.

Try to submerge the meat completely in the marinade, and choose containers of appropriate size, otherwise it will be difficult to marinate and waste the marinade.

You can choose to use either soy sauce or old soy sauce, depending on your preference for color.