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.
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
