Tau Eu Bak (Soy Sauce Braised Pork Belly) is a popular and well-loved dish among the Malaysian Chinese community. Tender pork belly slowly braised in a light and slightly sweet soy sauce broth with a hint of garlic.
I grew up in a typical Malaysian Chinese home. We lived with my grandparents when I was little, and my uncle, aunt and cousins lived just across the street (literally). We often ate dinner together as a family. My grandmother would walk to the wet market in the mornings to pick up groceries, then spend most of her day cooking a variety of delicious dishes for us.
She was such an awesome cook that it’s hard to put a label on which dish was my favorite, but one dish that was frequently on the dining table and very well loved by our family was Tau Eu Bak. Melt-in-your-mouth pork belly braised in a light and slightly sweet soy sauce broth with a hint of garlic, served over steamed rice.
The preparation of this dish is simple, but it has to cook low and slow for the flavors to properly develop. Tip: for optimal flavor, keep it in the fridge overnight, reheat it and enjoy it the next day. This dish freezes well too.
Cut 1 pound of pork belly into 1-inch pieces. Removing the skin is optional. Let the pork marinade in 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of Light Soy Sauce and 1 teaspoon of Dark Soy Sauce for about 15 minutes.
While waiting for the pork to marinade, prepare the soy sauce broth by mixing 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of Dark Soy Sauce and 2 tablespoons of Light Soy Sauce.
Fry the pork in a large pot over medium-high heat. Don’t throw away the marinade liquid; add it to the pot. Toss in 3 peeled garlic cloves, then the soy sauce broth.
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Reduce the heat to low, then allow it to simmer partially uncovered until the liquid is reduced by about half, stirring occasionally. This should take about 20 minutes.
Add 3/4 cup of water, two peeled hard boiled eggs and a dash of white pepper. Allow it to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Don’t forget to stir occasionally.
Enjoy over steamed rice.
Soy Sauce Braised Pork Belly (Tau Eu Bak)
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly cut into 1-inch pieces (skin optional)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and bruised
- 2 hard boiled eggs shell removed
For the broth
- 1 1/2 cups + 3/4 cup water divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- Dash of white pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the pork belly in 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce.
- Prepare the soy sauce broth by combining 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of dark soy sauce. Set aside.
- Fry the pork along with the marinade liquid in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the outsides of the pork is cooked, add the garlic cloves and the soy sauce broth.
- Reduce the heat to low, then allow it to simmer partially uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half (about 20 minutes). Stir occasionally.
- Add 3/4 cup of water, hard boiled eggs and a dash of white pepper.
- Allow it to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with steamed rice.
Nutrition
