1.5 lbs pork belly cut into 1.5-2" square. Oxtails (about 6 meaty pieces) or other stew cut of beef with some fat can also be used.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp brown or white sugar, or 4" piece of yellow rock sugar
1 fruit's worth dried tangerine peel or orange zest *
2 whole cloves star anise
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 dried red chili *
4" stick cinnamon
2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into rounds
4 scallions cut into 2" pieces, reserving green tops
½ cup rice wine or dry sherry
3 tbsp regular soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
* optional

 Brown meat on all sides in batches, using a dutch oven or pan. Make sure to crisp and bubble pork belly skin if still attached. Remove from heat and reserve liquid. Skim off the fat and return juice to the pot later.

Return cold water to pot till pork is covered and bring to a boil. On a high simmer, blanch pork for 3-4 minutes or till scum and foam stop appearing. Drain and cool. To be real anal about tenderness and flavor, do this step like Japanese Pork Belly. In other words, simmer gently except for a shorter period 2 hours instead of 3-4 either on the stove or in the oven. Never let the pork boil. Then continue with the braising.

Add oil to pot. Toast anise and chili briefly. In order, add ginger, garlic cloves and green onions. Stir quickly several times before adding the next ingredient, just enough time to release the flavor. Add sugar and stir quickly till caramelized. Return meat and any reserved juices to pot and stir fry till coated with slightly thickened sauce. Add wine and tangerine peel. Stir in soy sauce. Pour water or stock till pork is just covered and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat on stove or move to a low preheated oven, and cook at not even a barest simmer for at least min of 2 hours or when meat is barely starting to get tender when poked with a chopstick. The easiest way is to make this is a Crockpot overnight. Remove cover and continue on a high simmer until liquid is reduced by half and barely syrupy. Adjust the flavor with soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Add  green parts of the scallion when you turn off the heat.

This dish is extremely rich with a tasty sauce and makes great leftovers. My concoction of spices is astringent and probably needs another tablespoon or two of sugar and soy at the end.  Reduce the amount of chili, ginger, anise and tangerine peel for a simpler flavor.