Braised Pork Belly with Green Beans

optional: Use a kitchen blowtorch to char the skin of the pork belly until it turns black. Scrape off the charred surface thoroughly with a knife and clean the skin.

Cut the pork belly into thumb-sized pieces.

Trim both ends of the green beans and cut them into approximately 4 cm pieces. Soak them in clean water for 2 minutes, then rinse and drain well.

Cut the scallion into short sections, slice the ginger, and roughly chop the garlic. Set everything aside.

Add a small amount of cooking oil to a wok or large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the pork belly and stir-fry until some of its fat has rendered out. Add the scallion, ginger, and garlic, then continue stir-frying until fragrant.

Pour 15 ml of Chinese cooking wine and 15 ml of light soy sauce around the edge of the hot wok. Stir-fry until the pork is evenly coated and lightly colored.

Add the green beans and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir-fry over high heat until the beans begin to soften slightly.

Pour in enough water to come almost level with the ingredients. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of MSG, and 1 teaspoon of Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover the wok with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and braise for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to high. Cook until the sauce has reduced, but leave a small amount of liquid in the wok rather than allowing it to dry out completely. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.