Babi Chin Indonesian Soy Braised Pork Belly

Babi chin is an Indonesian braised pork belly recipe; my version adds hoisin sauce, roasted coriander & is fragrant with cloves and cinnamon.

The dish takes around an hour and a half to cook and prepare, but an hour of it is putting your feet up and allowing the rich, sweet sauce to reduce and the pork to cook.

Soy Sauce Braised Pork Belly

My site is littered with unusual recipes from around the world, and this babi chin recipe is one of my favourites.

It is simple to cook and fills your house with the most beautiful, sweet and fragrant aroma!

It contains pork belly, one of my favourite cuts of meat; its bold flavour and fat content works really well with a sweet glaze or sauce.

A combination I use in my sticky pork belly with pineapple, braised Vietnamese pork belly and my gluhwein pork belly bites.

The original recipe for this soy sauce-braised pork belly hails from Indonesia. To be more accurate, it is "nonya" cuisine, which is Chinese influence on Malay and Indonesian food. An ancient fusion food, if you like.

The addition of hoisin is not traditional, but I love the sweet BBQ-like flavour it brings to the dish.

Don't worry about having another jar of sauce lying around, you can use it up in dishes like my hoisin chicken ramen, General Tso's chicken, char siu pork tenderloin or hoisin pork stir fry!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use pork belly?

No, but you do need to use a cut of pork with some fat because it renders down into the sauce. This gives it a rich flavour and beautiful sheen.

You can use pork blade or Boston butt for my American readers. You could also just get away with diced shoulder of pork, but is not ideal.

Do I have to use a wok?

For this recipe, yes! Cooking this dish in a saucepan does not allow the sauce to evaporate quickly enough, and in a frying pan, it evaporates too quickly.

Can I use regular soy sauce?

No, you really do need to use dark soy sauce in this recipe. It has a very different flavour to regular soy sauce, and it adds a sweet complexity to the dish.

Do I have to use hoisin sauce?

No, you can double the quantity of dark soy sauce and omit the hoisin sauce. This will make the dish less sweet and less complex in flavour, but it is just as delicious.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, this is delicious cooled and reheated, and it will be fine in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If you scale it up a little, it makes a superb warm sandwich filling!

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve babi chin with some plain boiled rice, chopped red chilli and fresh coriander. If you have a bit of time and are up on your planning, it is also great with egg fried rice!

But the sweetness of the recipe means that it works really well with the crunch of some quickly cooked vegetables.

I've served this with both my asparagus stir fry and broccoli stir fry, and it works beautifully.

Just because this is Indonesian braised pork does not mean you need to stick with Far East Asian side dishes.

It works fantastically with my garlic green bean amandine, which is very French in influence.

Likewise, it would work wonderfully with some roasted tenderstem broccoli.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/Stovetop.
• Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Stirring and serving spoons.