Braised Pork and Mushroom Recipe is inspired by pata tim recipe. However, instead of using pork leg I used pork belly. You get that same fatty deliciousness and that hefty meat without the bones.
This braised pork and mushroom recipe is a Chinese style cuisine. It is sweet and savory which is common to any Chinese cuisine. It has that distinct flavor coming from star anise and earthy taste from mushrooms.
My dad cooked pata tim some weeks ago and this weekend for some unknown reason I want another taste of it. However, one thing I hate about pata tim is the pork leg itself. It has lots of big bones and fat. I know fat is delicious but I want more soft meat in my meal. The answer, pork belly.
Luckily my mom hadn’t cooked yet our packed lunch and being said, I volunteered and took over the kitchen. I quickly prepared the pork belly she bought which has a good amount of fat and meat.
Tips
Not all pork belly are created equally. So, you have to choose the pork belly with the right amount of fat and good proportion of meat. You just want the fat for flavor but I know you want that good soft meat, right?
You can choose the pork leg if you want and I know it will be equally delicious. Another thing is, if you use pork leg you will have that slightly thick sticky broth which is hardly noticeable if you use pork belly.
If you don’t like mushrooms, you can totally omit it. I know some don’t like the earthy flavor of it. You can also add some greens like bok choy, napa cabbage or even green beans. If some of your family members don’t like star anise, you can just add one or even half. Again, its flavor is an acquired taste.
I highly suggest using brown or muscovado sugar instead of white sugar. Brown or muscovado sugar has its distinct flavor missing from white sugar.
For more Pata related dishes check out my Pata Recipes.
Ingredients
| 500 grams | Pork Belly |
| 3 Tablespoons | Oil |
| 8 cloves | Garlic, chopped |
| 1 bulb | Onion, chopped |
| 2 pieces | Star Anise |
| 1 piece | Bay Leaf |
| 3 Tablespoons | Light Soy Sauce |
| 1 teaspoon | Sesame Oil |
| 1 cup | Canned Shiitake Mushrooms, halved |
| 2 -3 cups | Water |
| 1/4 teaspoon | Ground Black Pepper |
| 2 Tablespoons | Brown Sugar |
Procedure
Thoroughly clean the pork belly. Cut it into 1 inch thick by 3 inches long.
In a pan, add oil and heat until smoking hot. Pan sear the pork belly and set a side.
Using the same pan, sauté garlic, onion, star anise and bay leaf.
Add in the pork belly and add light soy sauce, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, 2 cups water, ground black pepper and brown sugar. Boil and simmer until pork is tender. Add more water if needed.
Season with salt if needed or simply reduce the sauce until desired taste is achieved.
Braised Pork and Mushroom
Ingredients
- 500 grams Pork Belly
- 3 Tablespoons Oil
- 8 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 bulb Onion, chopped
- 2 pieces Star Anise
- 1 piece Bay Leaf
- 3 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 cup Canned Shiitake Mushrooms, halved
- 2 – 3 cups Water
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Throughly clean the pork belly. Cut it into 1 inch thick by 3 inches long.
- In a pan, add oil and heat until smoking hot. Pan sear the pork belly and set a side.
- Using the same pan, sauté garlic, onion, star anise and bay leaf.
- Add in the pork belly and add light soy sauce, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, 2 cups water, ground black pepper and brown sugar. Boil and simmer until pork is tender. Add more water if needed.
- Season with salt if needed or simply reduce the sauce until desired taste is achieved.
