Wuxi Pork With Wine Sauce

1 (2-lb) piece fresh pork belly (unsmoked bacon)
with skin and bones
2 (32-oz) bottles club soda
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves
3 (1- by 1/4-inch) slices fresh ginger, smashed
with flat side of a heavy knife
3 scallions, trimmed and smashed
2 cups Chinese white rice wine, Chinese
white rice cooking wine, or Japanese sake*
3 whole star anise
2 whole cloves
1 (2- by 2-inch) piece dried tangerine peel*
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Chinese sweet
red rice wine, Chinese sweet
red rice cooking wine, or medium-dry Sherry*
2 to 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce (also known as superior)*
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Accompaniments: corn flan and onion and
orange marmalade

Special equipment: a 2-qt heatproof bowl, 9 to 10
inches wide; a 12-inch-wide steamer pot with insert

Cook pork:
Bring pork belly and club soda to a boil in a 4-quart
saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered,
20 mins. Transfer pork to a cutting board and
discard liquid.

When pork is cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch
(bone-in) pieces with a cleaver. Transfer to
heatproof bowl. Heat oil in a wok or medium skillet
over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking,
then stir-fry garlic, ginger, and scallions until
browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with
pork and add white rice wine, star anise, cloves,
tangerine peel, 3 tablespoons red rice wine, and
2 tbsps soy sauce. (If using regular rice wine
instead of cooking wine, use 3 tablespoons soy sauce.)

Heat 2 to 3 inches of water in bottom of steamer pot
until simmering, then put bowl with pork mixture onto
steamer rack. Cover pot and steam until pork is very
tender and falling off bones, about 3 hours. Replenish
steamer pot by adding boiling water every hour as necessary.

Remove bowl from steamer and pour juices through a
fine sieve lined with dampened paper towels into a
1-quart saucepan. Discard bones, garlic, ginger,
scallions, star anise, tangerine peel, and cloves.
Set pork aside and keep warm, covered. (The turned
-off steamer is a good place, as it stays hot for
a while.)

Make wine sauce:
Skim fat from juices, then boil over moderately high
heat until reduced to about 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes.
Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup red
rice wine in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk
into boiling juices. Reduce heat and simmer,
whisking frequently, until sauce is slightly
thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve pork over corn flan, drizzled with wine sauce
and topped with onion and orange marmalade.

Cooks' note:
• Pork and wine sauce can be cooked 1 day ahead. Cool
meat in sauce, uncovered, then chill, covered. Reheat
over low heat.

* Available at Asian markets and AsiaFoods.

Makes 6 servings.