Savory Soy Sauce Pork Belly (豉油王炒五花肉)
A classic home-style dish featuring thinly sliced pork belly seared to golden perfection and glazed in a savory-sweet blend of fermented black beans and soy sauces.
This Cantonese-inspired stir-fry showcases the beauty of simple ingredients transformed by high-heat cooking. By rendering the pork belly fat and pairing it with the deep, umami-rich punch of fermented black beans and oyster sauce, this dish becomes a quintessential companion for a steaming bowl of white rice.
Ingredients
- 400 g pork belly, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tbsp fermented black beans
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (if needed)
Instructions
- 1Sear the pork belly
Place the sliced pork belly into a hot wok. Stir-fry over medium heat until the fat renders and the edges become browned and aromatic.
Tip: Keep the heat at medium to ensure the fat renders slowly without burning the meat. - 2Brown the meat
Continue stir-frying the pork belly pieces, ensuring they are evenly browned on both sides to lock in the flavor.
Tip: If the pork releases too much oil, you can carefully pour out some of the excess grease to prevent the dish from being too oily. - 3Drain excess fat
Push the browned pork to one side of the wok and carefully pour out the excess rendered grease to ensure a clean flavor profile.
Tip: Removing the excess fat helps achieve a cleaner, less greasy flavor profile for the final dish. - 4Sauté the garlic
Add the sliced garlic cloves to the wok and stir-fry until fragrant, being careful not to let them burn.
Tip: Be careful not to burn the garlic; stir it constantly to ensure it releases its aroma into the pork. - 5Add fermented black beans
Add the fermented black beans to the pork and garlic, tossing everything together to build the savory foundation.
Tip: Fermented black beans are quite salty, so stir them well to distribute the flavor evenly throughout the meat. - 6Season and glaze
Pour in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Stir-fry until the meat is perfectly coated and achieves a deep, glossy brown color.
Tip: The dark soy sauce is primarily for color, so add it gradually until you reach the desired rich brown hue. - 7Final stir-fry
Stir-fry all ingredients over medium heat until the pork is deeply colored, fragrant, and fully coated in the savory glaze.
Tip: Pouring out excess grease before adding seasonings ensures the dish is flavorful rather than overly oily.
