Ingredients

• 25g/1oz whole dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 small bunch spring onions
• one thinly sliced
• the rest cut into 4cm/1½in lengths
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger
• peeled and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 star anise
• 1 piece cassia bark
• 800g/1lb 12oz pork belly (ideally a 5-layered cut – skin/fat/meat/fat/meat)
• cut into cubes
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

Directions

• Soak the mushrooms in boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large lidded saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fry the lengths of spring onion with the ginger
• garlic
• star anise and cassia bark for 3–4 minutes
• or until fragrant.
• Add the pork and cook until it starts to brown. (Fry in batches
• if necessary).
• Add the rice wine
• soy sauces
• sugar
• mushrooms and their soaking liquid and enough water to cover the pork. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 1½–2 hours
• or until the pork is really tender and falling apart.
• Remove the lid
• turn up the heat and cook uncovered over a high heat for 10–15 minutes until the volume of the sauce reduces by half and is thick and syrupy.
• Adjust the seasoning to taste
• scatter with the sliced spring onion and serve with steamed rice.