Chairman Mao'S Red-Braised Pork - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb lean pork (the recipe calls for pork belly but this is a lighter version)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or 1 tablespoon sherry wine
3/4 inch piece fresh ginger, skin left on and sliced
1 star anise
2 dried red chilies
1 cinnamon stick (or 1 piece of cassia bark)
light soy sauce, to taste
salt, to taste
sugar, to taste
scallion, to garnish (green parts only)

Preparation

Plunge the pork into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked; remove and, when cool enough to handle, cut in bite-sized chunks.
Heat the oil and sugar in a wok over low heat until the sugar melts, then raise the heat and stir until the melted sugar turns a rich caramel brown; add the pork and splash in the wine.
Add enough water just to cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, chilies and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes.
Toward the end of the cooking time, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce, and season with soy sauce, salt and a little sugar to taste; add the scallion greens just before serving.