Cola Braised Pork Rice ｜ Rich, Glossy & Tender

Cola-braised pork rice — rich, glossy, and tender. Skinless pork belly is browned raw (no blanching), then braised with red onion, dried squid, ginger, star anise, and one can of cola. Four small moves make it work: dried squid for natural umami, enough hot water all at once, three minutes lid-off on high heat after it boils again, and skimming the fat before you reduce. Spoon it over hot rice and mix it in.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Ingredients
0:17 Cook the Pork
1:14 Braise
2:12 Finish & Serve

INGREDIENTS
Skinless pork belly, diced — 300 g (do not blanch)
Red onion
Dried squid (a little)
Ginger and star anise
Hot water (enough, well above the pork — add all at once)
Cola — 1 can / 300 ml
Light soy sauce — 2 spoons
Dark soy sauce — 2 spoons (for color)
A little cooking oil
Hot cooked rice, to serve

(Other seasonings: none. That is all.)

STEPS
1. Heat a little oil in a clay pot. Add the diced pork raw — no need to blanch. Stir until it turns white and the fat starts to come out.
2. Add red onion, ginger, star anise, then the dried squid. Keep the heat medium-low and stir until fragrant; the onion turns soft and the pork gets a little color.
3. Pour in hot water all at once, well above the pork. Better too much than too little — topping up halfway thins the flavor.
4. Add one can of cola (300 ml for 300 g of pork).
5. Add 2 spoons of light soy sauce and 2 spoons of dark soy. Stir. That is all — nothing else. Let it boil again.
6. Once it boils, keep the lid off. High heat for about 3 minutes so the off-smells rise away with the steam. Don't skip this step.
7. Put the lid on. Low heat for 50 minutes.
8. Open the lid. Pick out the ginger and star anise — their job is done.
9. Skim off the yellow fat, spoon by spoon. Take your time.
10. Turn up the heat. Reduce until the sauce is almost dry, stirring so nothing sticks. Thick, glossy, rich but not greasy.
11. Spoon over hot rice with plenty of sauce. Mix it all in so every grain gets the flavor.

WHY IT WORKS
Dried squid soaks savory depth into the pork. Adding enough hot water once keeps the braise concentrated — topping up halfway only dilutes it. Three minutes lid-off on high heat after the soy boils again drives off the off-smells. Skimming the fat before you reduce gives you a glossy sauce that is rich, not greasy.


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