There are many regional versions of Dong Bo Rou. This recipe a Cantonese version. The picture is a Shanghainese version.
Ingredients:
20 oz (500g) piece of streaky pork belly with skin on
20 oz (500g) spinach
5 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup shao hsing rice wine
3 star anise (bajiao)
1/2 tsp huajiao (pericarpium zanthoxli)
1 section dried tangerine peel
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp coarse sea salt
5 drops sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp msg
1 tsp dark soy sauce
Preparation:
1. Parboil the streaky pork belly in boiling water for 10 minutes. Rub the pork with the dark soy sauce when it is still warm. Deep fry the pork belly in hot oil till brown. Cut and trim neatly into 8 squares.
2. Soak dried mushrooms in cold water to soften. Snip off the stems. Slice each mushroom in half and wash.
3. Remove roots from the spinach. Cut into two sections. Wash in several changes of water till clean.
4. Into a clay pot place the star anaise, huajiao, tangerine peel, pork. Add rice wine, salt, sugar, oyster sauce. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil without covering. When coming to a rolling boil, lower the heat, cover and continue to cook for 80 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. Check for taste. Add seasoning if required. Cook until only little liquid is left. If there is still too much liquid, thicken with a mixture of cornstarch and water.
Stir fry the spinach. Add salt to taste. Put the spinach on the plate. Place the pork belly on top. Pour the sauce over.