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sweet and spicy braised pork belly

Spicy braised pork belly with chilies and Ceylon tea

This spicy braised pork belly recipe would perfume the house with sweet woody aromas of hill country Sri Lanka and Asia. If you are looking for a recipe that is finger licking good and will leave you wanting and drooling for more, please read on!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian Sri Lankan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb. pork belly cut into large cubes
  • 1 tbsp salt
Spices and herbs
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 5 dry red chili peppers
  • 4 inch stick of cinnamon
  • 3 inch piece of ginger sliced
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp Sri Lankan Earl Grey tea
  • 1/2 tsp black cumin seeds
  • 2 star anise seed pods
Liquid flavors
  • ½ cup spiced rum
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • ¼ cup dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp Dates molasses

Method
 

  1. Rinse and pad dry pork belly and cut into large cubes. Add salt and set aside while other flavoring agents are being prepared.
  2. Mix all the liquid flavor ingredients in a bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup. Give it a good mix to dissolve molasses.
  3. Gather all the dry ingredients and spices. Slice ginger into thin slices. Tie black tea in a muslin cloth.
  4. Heat a shallow braising pot on high and add pork belly. Brown both sides until light golden by flipping a few times.
  5. Pour liquid flavoring mix over. Scrape the bottom of the pan.
  6. Add the dry spices and tea bag.
  7. Turn the heat to medium low and slowly simmer until pork is cooked tender and most of the water is evaporated.
  8. turn the heat off remove the pork belly pieces and once they are cool to touch, slice in the smaller bite sized slices.
  9. Add the pork belly pieces back into the pan and cook on high until all the water evaporated and pork prices becomes deep golden color by frying in rendered fat.
  10. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Pack in an airtight container and enjoy adding a piece or two from this to your favorite fried rice, eggs, and rice breakfast.

Notes

Notes:
Discard the bag of tea and cinnamon once the spicy braised pork belly finishes cooking