Homemade Preserved Pork Belly – Sybaritica

Preserved Pork Belly (五花臘肉) has an apple-sweet flavor that Is very popular in Chinese cuisine. You can buy it easily, but it isn’t hard to make at home.

• 1 lb. Pork Belly
• 1 level tbsp. Salt
• 3 tbsp. Sugar
• ¼ cup boiling Water
• 3 tbsp. Shaoxing Wine substitute with Sherry or Brandy
• 2 tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
• 1/8 tsp. Curing Salt Prague Powder #2 or Saltpeter

• In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the boiling water and then add the Rice Wine, Soy Sauce, and the Curing Salt (Prague Powder #2 recommended).
• Cut the Pork Belly into slices 2 -3 cm. thick.
• Place the slices of pork belly into a plastic bag, or other suitable container and pour over the curing solution.
• Refrigerate the pork for two days, turning as necessary to ensure all the pork comes into contact with the curing liquid.
• After wet-curing, dry the slices and hang in a cool, dry place, ideally with a breeze or draft, and air-dry for a minimum of 4 days until the exterior is leather-hard and dried.
• Store the cured product in the refrigerator until needed.