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1
Place the pork belly pieces in a cold pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat and blanch for 3–4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and pat thoroughly dry. The flesh should be firm and the water should run clear.
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2
Heat the oil in a heavy pot or wok over medium heat. Place the pork pieces skin-side down in a single layer and fry without moving them until the skin is deep golden and lightly crisped — 3–4 minutes. A pronounced sizzle will subside as the skin renders. This step creates the foundation of the dish's lacquered colour.
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3
Pour in the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine in equal measure. Add the rock sugar, ginger slices and the tied spring onion bundle. Pour in enough water to bring the liquid almost level with the top of the pork. Bring to the boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer, cover, and braise for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. This is where the dish lives or dies: the heat must remain low and patient so the fat fully renders and the collagen converts entirely to gelatin — rushing at any point produces tight, dry meat rather than the requisite yielding, silk-fat texture. The pork is ready when a chopstick passes through the skin and fat with no resistance.
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4
Remove and discard the ginger and spring onion bundle. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered, turning the pork pieces gently every minute or two, until the braising liquid reduces to a thick, glossy glaze that coats each piece with a deep red-brown lacquer — approximately 10–15 minutes. The sauce should coat a spoon and hold its shape briefly when dropped back into the pot.
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5
Transfer the pork to a warmed serving plate and spoon the remaining glaze over the top. Serve immediately alongside steamed mantou to absorb the sauce. The dish should smell of caramelised soy, Shaoxing wine and sweet rendered fat.