1½ lb skin on pork belly , cut into around ¾" thick and 3" wide pieces.
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce , optional
2 tbsp Shoaxing wine , or rice cooking wine
1½-2 cup water, or until almost covers the meat.
1 star anise, optional
2 bay leaf, optional
2 inch cinnamon stick, optional
2 stalk scallion
Instructions
Heat a Dutch oven (I use a 4qt one) over medium heat and lightly brown both sides of the pork belly. Do it in 2 - 3 batches. Scoop out the oil rendered from the pork if you want to save it for other uses.
Put all the meat back into the pot and then add sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and Shoaxing wine, and let it boil for a few seconds before adding water.
Add spices (if using) and scallion in the pot, cover and bring it to a boil.
Turn the heat down to medium low to low, and maintain a gentle boil for 1.5 hours. Reposition and turn the meat 1 to 2 times so they can cooked evenly.
After it’s done cooking, turn off the heat and let it sit for another 30 minutes with the lid on. You can also let it sit overnight in the fridge once it cools completely.
After 30 minutes (or before serving), turn the heat to medium or medium high and cook uncovered until the liquid becomes sticky and able to coat the meat. During cooking, reposition and turn the meat a few times to ensure even cooking