Sumptuous Braised Pork Belly

Note: This recipe makes 6 servings of very tender, sumptuous pork. Good with very hot mustard and cooked chunks of daikon radish or cabbage. It is great cold with salad and a few cucumber slices. Total carbs 14.

The final simmering process of sake, sweetener, then soy is very unique to Japanese cooking, creating flavor-permeated meat. While the recipe has a couple of steps, it can be completed while your doing other things. It keeps well and is even better the next day. The ginger has a high carb count of 12.95 EC’s. It is not include it in the final total because it is not eaten. The count will also be lower if the sauce is not eaten.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless pork belly
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup milk
3 1/2 oz fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups dashi or chicken stock
3/4 cup sake
3 Tbsp. Splenda
4 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
4 green onions

Cut the pork into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir-fry the pork in batches until lightly browned. Transfer the pork to a colander and pour boiling water over the pork to remove the oil.

Transfer the pork to a large pot. Add the milk, half of the sliced ginger and enough water to comfortably cover the pork. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and suntill partially covered with a lid, let a very thin stream of cold tap water pour into the pot to cool the pork. Let the water trickle into the pork for 20 minutes. Drain the pork and remove the ginger.

Return the pork to the pot and add the remaining ginger, chicken stock and sake. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer, partially covered with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the Splenda and cook for 15 minutes longer. Add the soy and cook for 5 minutes. Cut the green onions into 1-inch pieces, add to the pot and simmer for 2 minutes longer.