Braised Pork Belly in Soy Sauce Recipe

Pick pork belly with a good, even 50/50 mix of fat and meat — as the fat melts during cooking it keeps the pork tender and juicy. Cut it into small pieces.

Crack the white peppercorns yourself with the flat of a cleaver or a mortar — don't use pre-ground pepper. Cracking releases the fragrant peppery oils and helps cut down any strong porky odor.

Lightly pound the whole head of garlic with the back of a cleaver to crack the cloves open.

Heat a pot with the water — a big clay pot is ideal since it distributes heat evenly for tender pork, but a heavy-bottomed pot works fine too. Bring the water to a boil.

Add the pounded garlic, pork belly, and cracked white peppercorns to the boiling water.

Bring the pot back to a boil, then add the hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), and dark soy sauce. Don't skip the sweet soy sauce — it balances the saltiness of the dark soy sauce and gives the broth its signature rich flavor.

Stir everything together and let it come back to a simmer so the eggs and tofu start soaking up the braising liquid.

Lower the heat to medium and braise for about 30 minutes, until the pork belly is cooked through and tender.

Taste the broth and add salt as needed.

Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes to let the flavors deepen and come together.

Dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Leftovers keep well — the flavors actually improve after sitting overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stovetop before serving.