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     Title: Lap Yuk (Chinese Cured Pork Belly)
Categories: Pork, Herbs, Sauces, Booze
     Yield: 16 Servings

     3 sl Ginger
     4    Bay leaves
     2    Star anise
     2    Cinnamon sticks
     1 ts Sichuan peppercorns
     1 tb Salt
   1/3 c  Dark soy sauce
   1/2 c  Light soy sauce
     1 c  Shaoxing wine
   3/4 c  Sugar
 3 1/2 lb Boneless pork belly
     3 tb Baijiu (Chinese liquor);
          - can substitute whiskey

 In a small saucepan, add the ginger, bay leaves, star anise,
 cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, and sugar.
 Place the pot over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer,
 stirring to dissolve the sugar. The process should only take a few
 minutes. Shut off the heat and allow to cool completely.

 While waiting for the sauce to cool, rinse the pork belly and pat
 dry thoroughly with paper towels. The pork should be as dry as
 possible. Arrange the pieces neatly in a shallow, rimmed dish.

 Once the sauce has completely cooled, stir in the baijiu or
 whiskey. Pour the mixture over the pork, making sure the meat is
 completely submerged. You can even put a clean plate or bowl on top
 to weight down the meat.  Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3 full
 days, flipping the pork belly once each day to ensure the sauce
 penetrates the meat evenly.

 After 3 days, it's time to hang them up to cure. Use kitchen string
 and a bamboo skewer to thread the string through the fat in the
 pork belly. Tie a knot to make a sturdy loop, and hang the pork
 belly in a cool dry place. I used our basement, which has optimal
 temperature and humidity levels (you want the temperature to remain
 around 50 to 55 F (10 to 13 C), and the relative humidity should be
 around 65%. I kept the window open during the day to let in fresh
 air. Note: this cured pork belly is best made during the colder
 months!

 Layer some newspaper on the floor to catch any liquid that drips
 from the pork, and let it dry for 4 to 6 days until the outer layer
 is completely dry and the inside is still slightly soft when
 pressed. To store, put in a freezer bag with as much air removed as
 possible.

 To prepare this pork belly in the most simple (and delicious) way,
 just add rice and water to your rice cooker as you normally would
 to cook a batch of white rice. Then just toss a piece of pork belly
 on top and steam as normal. Once the rice is done steaming, your
 pork belly will also be heated through. Slice it up and mix it with
 your rice!

 Recipe by Judy Yee

 Recipe FROM: https://thewoksoflife.com

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen

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