Red-braised pork stomach is a Hunanese dish, the recipe for which may be discovered within the pages of “A Very Chinese Cookbook” by Jeffrey and Kevin Pang, a father and son who teamed as much as write a cookbook along with America’s Test Kitchen. (Courtesy Kevin White/America’s Test Kitchen)

Red-braised pork stomach is a quintessential Hunanese dish, and one which delights in pork fats, in line with Kevin Pang, co-author of “A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese)” (America’s Test Kitchen, $35).

To totally respect the dish, he writes, “you must view pork fat as a feature, not a bug.”

“There’s no subtlety about what you’re enjoying: distinct striations of skin-fat-meat-fat-meat on the pork, enrobed in a warmly spiced, caramelized and sweet deep-red glaze so luxuriant it would make rubber tires taste good,” he continues as he describes a recipe developed for the e-book by check cook dinner Carmen Dongo at America’s Test Kitchen.

Red-Braised Pork Belly 紅燒肉

Serves 6 to eight

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup (2 ounces) rock sugar, crushed

2 kilos skin-on center-cut contemporary pork stomach, reduce into 2-inch items

1 (4-inch) piece ginger, sliced into skinny rounds

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon darkish soy sauce

2 star anise pods

2 cinnamon sticks

1/4 teaspoon desk salt

5 cups water

2 scallions, sliced skinny

DIRECTIONS

Heat an empty, 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over excessive warmth till simply starting to smoke. Reduce warmth to medium-high, drizzle oil round perimeter of wok and warmth till simply smoking. Add sugar and cook dinner, stirring continually, till sugar has melted and combination is amber-colored, about 1 minute. Carefully add pork stomach and cook dinner, tossing slowly however continually, till fats begins to render and pork begins to brown, about 7 minutes.

Stir in ginger, soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon sticks and salt and cook dinner, stirring often, till aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in water and produce to boil. Reduce warmth to medium-low, cowl and simmer till paring knife inserted into pork presents no resistance, 70 to 80 minutes, flipping pork items midway by means of cooking.

Increase warmth to medium-high and vigorously simmer, uncovered, stirring often, till sauce is thickened and begins to coat pork, 10 to 25 minutes.

Off warmth, let pork relaxation for 5 minutes. Using a large, shallow spoon, skim extra fats from floor of sauce and take away ginger, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

Note: Look for pork stomach that’s offered as one complete piece, about 2 inches thick, with an honest quantity of fats. We want skin-on pork stomach to attain conventional textures and flavors; when you can not discover skin-on pork, you should utilize skin-off.

— Courtesy Kevin Pang and Jeffrey Pang, “A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese)” (America’s Test Kitchen, $35)