Sweet Belly 東坡肉

Chinese like pork, and traditionally the belly above all parts.  Now, well, people are scared by the fat.  Sometimes though, cook a well flavoured belly dish and a little goes a very long way.  This is perhaps the most famous way of preparing it, allegedly created and favoured by Su Dongpo 蘇東坡, the great Song Dynasty statesman, scholar, artist, poet and oversized gourmet.  Whole piece of belly, here about a pound, is first boiled in water for 15 minutes, cut into small pieces then lined skin side down into a pot on top of lots of scallion and ginger.  Pour in good Shaoxing wine 紹興酒 to half way up the meat, sprinkled on top dark soy sauce and sugar (it is a rather sweet dish) and simmer for an hour or so then turn to simmer the meat side  until it is tender.  Skim the fat then reduce the sauce until syrupy; lay the pieces into a jar, spoon the sauce over then steam cover for half an hour or so.  The result is creamy and sweet skin and fatty tissue, with much of the lard cooked out of it.  Small pieces of heaven indeed.