Soft and tender Braised Pork Tower

Braised Pork Tower宝塔肉（bǎo tǎ ròu）

Braised Pork Tower, a delicacy primarily made with pork that is cooked to resemble a pagoda-like shape. Its appearance is exquisite, with layers of stacked meat slices forming the tower shape, allowing people to appreciate the charm of Chinese traditional culture while enjoying the food. The Braised Pork Tower has a delightful texture, with tender and smooth pork slices combined with crisp and tasty preserved vegetable, creating a unique mouthfeel. Each bite offers the richness and depth of flavors of the Braised Pork Tower, making it irresistible.

Comprehensive rating:

Steps:
1.Thoroughly rinse the streaky pork belly with running water, ensuring to clean off any impurities and dust from the surface. Place the cleaned streaky pork belly into a pot and add an appropriate amount of water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, use a spoon to skim off any surface foam, then continue boiling for 5 minutes. After blanching, rinse the streaky pork belly again with clean water, thoroughly cleaning off any remaining foam until the water runs clear.
2.After blanching, the streaky pork belly is placed into cold water, and as the water temperature rises, the meat gradually becomes firmer and the color becomes more vibrant. In the pot, add spices such as sand ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon bark, fructus amomi, fragrant leaves, gardenia jasminoides, dried chili , jujube, dried hawthorn, amomum tsao-ko, and star anise. These aromatic spices release a rich fragrance, adding a more complex flavor to the streaky pork belly. Then, add yellow wine, light soy sauce, rock sugar, and red yeast rice powder. These seasonings not only give the streaky pork belly a brighter color but also provide a rich texture and unique aroma. Finally, green onion and ginger are added to the pot, and after simmering for a period of time, the streaky pork belly becomes soft, tender, and flavorful, while the broth becomes thickened.
3.After the streaky pork is cooked, remove it and place it flat on a large plate. To help it set better, find a heavy object and firmly press it onto the streaky pork belly to keep it flat. Then, the entire plate is placed in the refrigerator to allow the streaky pork belly to set slowly in the cool temperature. After a period of chilling, the pork belly becomes firm and solid. Take out the streaky pork belly and proceed with the next step of precise cutting. Each cut must be accurate, slicing the meat thinly while maintaining the coherence of the slices without any breakage. When the sliced sliced pork belly is unfolded, it resembles a long strip of fabric, delicate and uniform.
4.Proceeding carefully from the beginning, the sliced streaky pork belly is meticulously rolled up, layer by layer, gradually forming a beautiful pagoda shape. Then, a specialized mold for making the streaky pork tower is used to gently place the rolled streaky pork belly into it. On top of the streaky pork belly, a layer of pre-purchased dried preserved vegetables is added, followed by pouring some flavorful broth over it.
5.In the final stage of cooking, the mold containing the streaky pork belly is placed in a steamer basket and steamed over high heat for 40 minutes. After the steaming time is complete, the streaky pork belly is carefully removed from the mold and set aside to cool slowly. As the streaky pork belly gradually cools in the air, its color deepens, and the texture becomes firmer. Once the streaky pork belly has completely cooled down, the demolding process begins. Gently loosen the edges of the mold, and with a careful flip, the streaky pork belly will perfectly slide onto a prepared plate. This step requires great care to ensure the integrity and aesthetics of the streaky pork belly.
6.Place the demolded streaky pork tower on a beautiful plate, drizzle it with braising sauce, and this visually appealing and flavorful streaky pork tower dish is complete, ready to be served at the dining table. The entire restaurant will be filled with the aroma of the meat and the fragrant scent of preserved vegetables, enticing everyone’s taste buds.

Tips:
1.Slicing the streaky pork belly into thin slices is a crucial step in the process of making streaky pork tower. This technique requires practice and patience because although the streaky pork belly is tender, if not skilled enough, it can easily break while slicing. When slicing, it is recommended to have the skin side of the streaky pork belly facing towards oneself. This allows better control over the strength and angle of the knife, resulting in more even and long slices.
2.Steaming is another key step in making streaky pork tower. The steaming time should be sufficient to ensure that the fat in the streaky pork belly is completely rendered out while maintaining its tender and smooth texture. During the steaming process, placing the streaky pork belly in a mold helps maintain its shape and appearance.

Pork tower also has rich nutritional value. Pork contains abundant nutrients such as protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins, while bamboo shoots are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Consuming pork tower in moderation can provide essential nutrients to the body and improve immune function. The preparation of this delicacy emphasizes the use of knife skills and cooking techniques, resulting in distinct layers of pork slices forming a pagoda shape while ensuring the nutritional content and taste experience of the ingredients.