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1
Blanch the pork belly in a pot of boiling water until the skin firms and the flesh turns opaque at the surface. Remove, drain, and pat completely dry — residual moisture will cause dangerous spitting at the frying stage. The skin should feel taut and dry to the touch.
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2
Combine the soy sauce and honey. While the pork is still warm, rub the mixture thoroughly over the skin and all exposed surfaces. Allow the pork to rest until the coating is tacky and visibly darkened.
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3
Heat the oil in a wok or deep vessel to frying temperature. Lower the pork belly skin-side down into the oil and fry briefly until the skin blisters, puffs, and colours to a deep mahogany. This step is where the dish lives or dies: without it the skin will not achieve its characteristic yielding, lacquered texture after steaming. Remove and drain.
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4
Slice the fried pork belly into pieces of even thickness. Squeeze the soaked and rinsed mei cai to remove excess water, then mix it with the sugar.
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5
Arrange the pork slices skin-side down in a heatproof bowl, packing them snugly. Spread the mei cai over the pork in an even, compact layer. The bowl should be full and the greens pressed firmly down.
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6
Set the bowl in a steamer over vigorously boiling water and steam for a minimum of two hours, replenishing the water as needed. The dish is ready when the pork fat is completely rendered and the flesh yields with no resistance when pressed — trembling rather than springy, fully melting in character.
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7
At the table, place a serving plate face-down over the bowl and invert in one confident motion. Lift the bowl away. The pork skin should glisten on top, the mei cai beneath it saturated with rendered fat. Serve immediately with plain steamed rice; the collected juices in the plate are the sauce.