Red-Cooked Pork with Dried Octopus – 八爪鱼红烧肉 – Sybaritica

Red-Cooked Pork with Dried Octopus features a slow braise of the main ingredients in Soy Sauce, Rice Wine, Garlic, and other aromatics

Servings: 4 as part of a Chinese Meal

• 1 lb. Pork Belly in one piece
• 1 small to medium Reconstituted Dried Octopus
• 1 small Onion cut vertically into slivers
• 1 cup sliced Celery include some leaves if you like
• 1 tbsp. Garlic Paste
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• ½ cup Dark Soy Sauce
• ¼ cup Rice Wine
• 4 tbsp. Sugar
• 3 -4 whole dried Red Chilies
• 2 slices dried Galanga

• Heat a little oil in a pan over moderately high-heat and quickly brown the outside of the pork belly slab on all sides.
• Cut the cooled pork into bite size cubes, and slice the octopus, including the tentacles, into small strips, or squares.
• Sauté the onion in a little oil or lard over medium heat and then add the celery and garlic paste.
• When the celery is softened, add the pork, octopus and the rest of the ingredients. Bring everything to a moderate boil, skimming away any froth, and then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.
• Continue to simmer away for an hour or two until the liquid has reduce by about one half or two-thirds, at which point you should remove the dried chili and Galanga slices
• Serve immediately, or chill it in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors develop and re-heat for service the following day.