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1
Place the pork belly chunks in a cold pot, cover with water, and bring to a full boil. Blanch for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. The surface should be clean and the grey scum gone.
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2
Dry the blanched pork thoroughly. Heat the neutral oil in a wok or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the rock sugar and stir continuously until it melts and deepens to a rich amber caramel. This is where the dish lives or dies: pull the caramel too soon and the glaze will be pale and sweet; take it a moment too far and bitterness will carry through the entire braise. The colour should be a deep, dark amber — the smell sharp and roasted, not burnt.
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3
Add the pork to the caramel immediately, tossing to coat every piece. The sugar will seize and harden briefly before re-melting and lacquering the pork. Continue turning until all surfaces are coated and glossy.
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4
Add the Shaoxing wine and let it seethe for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, doubanjiang, dried chillies, ginger, and spring onions. Pour in enough water to nearly cover the pork. Bring to a boil over high heat.
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5
Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and braise for at least 2 hours, turning the pork occasionally. At the end of braising, the fat should be fully rendered and the collagen converted: a chopstick pressed into the pork should meet no resistance, and the meat should be trembling and unctuous.
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6
Uncover and raise the heat to medium-high. Reduce the braising liquid, stirring gently, until it thickens to a lacquered, clingy sauce that coats the back of a spoon. The pork should be glossy, deeply mahogany in colour, and the sauce should barely pool on the plate.
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7
Remove the spring onions and ginger. Taste the sauce: it should be bold, sweet, hot, and deeply savoury — the Hunan character should be assertive, not restrained. Adjust soy sauce if needed. Serve immediately with a generous quantity of steamed white rice.