Pressure Cooker Quick Braised Pork
Our family loves the rich and savory braised pork, but as a mother of two, I simply don't have the time to spend one or two hours preparing it. This is an improved pressure cooker version that can be served in under 40 minutes, with a taste that's just as good. Even my extremely picky older child can eat half a small bowl of it.👍 If you're not particularly fond of fatty meat, be sure to choose pork belly with thinner layers of fat when shopping. What we're aiming for is meat that melts in your mouth without being too greasy.
Ingredients
Steps
This time I bought skinless pork belly. I prefer it with skin, but this was the only option available at our supermarket yesterday.
Cut into large chunks of about 3 cm. Don't cut them too small, as the meat will shrink significantly after cooking.
Prepare scallion sections and ginger slices.
Blanch the pork belly in boiling water to remove scum and any unpleasant odor.
Rinse the blanched pork belly and place it in the pressure cooker.
Add a large bowl of water, scallion sections, ginger slices, star anise, and a tablespoon of salt. After the pressure cooker valve rises, cook for 20-25 minutes depending on your preferred texture. If you like it softer, cook a bit longer, but no more than half an hour. You can also add salt later for seasoning. From personal experience, adding it early doesn't affect tenderness, and I prefer well-seasoned meat.
Prepare a sauce with five tablespoons of light soy sauce, two tablespoons of sugar, two tablespoons of rice wine, and one tablespoon of rice vinegar.
Heat oil in a wok until 70% hot. Add the cooked and drained pork belly, stir-fry for a minute or two, then pour in the prepared sauce.
Once the pork belly is glossy and the sauce is almost reduced, it's ready to serve. Be careful—if it gets too dry, add water instead of the braising liquid to avoid making it too greasy.