Cherry Garden head chef Soong Kin Wah shares this delicious family recipe with readers to celebrate the festival
When creating his Chinese New Year dishes, head chef Soong Kin Wah of Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore always takes inspiration from his favourite childhood eats. That is why his current menu includes the braised pork belly, created using a recipe that was passed on from his grandmother to his mother, who taught him how to cook it.
He incorporates the same cooking style and special sauce that have been used for generations, ensuring diners enjoy an authentic Chinese New Year dish that is full of flavours. Here is how you can make it at home.
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Braised Pork Belly With Chestnut, Chinese Mushroom and Homemade Brown Sauce
Ingredients
- 1kg pork belly
- 100g chestnut
- 3-4 pcs flower mushroom
- Sliced ginger, spring onion and Hua Diao wine
Seasoning
- 60ml dark soy sauce
- 6ml soy sauce
- 80g rock sugar
- 60g caramel sugar
- 200ml Hua Diao wine
- 2l clear broth (chicken or pork)
Spices 1
- 1/2 tbsp red yeast rice
- 1 black cardamom (tsao-ko)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
Spices 2
- 100g sliced ginger
- 100g spring onion
- 100g shallot
- 50g dried shallot
- 50g garlic
Method
- Mix all ingredients in spices 2 and fry until fragrant. Set aside.
- Wash the pork belly with water. Transfer to a plate and add in sliced ginger, spring onion and Hua Diao wine.
- Put the pork belly in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Once cooked, set aside to cool down completely then slice the pork belly into 1 to 2cm thickness.
- Put the sliced pork belly in a large soup pot. Add the chestnut, flower mushroom, clear broth, seasoning and spices 1. Add the stir-fried spices 2 from step 1.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then turn to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes until the pork belly is tender. Remove the pork belly from the sauce.
- Cook the sauce for another 15 minutes over low heat until the sauce is reduced to a thick sauce. Pour the sauce over the pork belly and serve.
Tatler Tip: Use boiling water instead of cold water to wash the pork belly in step 2 in order to retain its tender texture and prevent it from being too dry.