Chinese Red-Cooked Pork Belly, Braised - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cooking oil (high smoke point oil)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (e.g. Kikkoman)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (e.g. Pearl River Bridge Dark Soy Sauce)
2 tablespoons chinese rice wine (rice cooking wine)
2 slices ginger
3 star anise
2 cups water
1 stalk green onion
1 dash toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Heat oil in a wok or dutch oven until shimmering.
Add sugar to oil. Mix constantly until it melts (~370F).
Add pork belly and sear until golden brown. Stir constantly and scrape bits of sugar that have stuck to the pot. The sugar will burn quickly so pay attention.
Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, and water. Add ginger and star anise. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.
After an 45 minutes to an hour, remove meat to serving bowl. Boil sauce until desired consistency and skim off scum and fat. Pour over meat.
Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve.