Take 2 lbs. of pork belly, and slice into 3/4"-thick pieces.

Take a large pot, fill it halfway up with water and heat it over high heat. Add in the pieces of pork belly and let it come to a boil. Starting the timer when the water starts boiling, let the pork pieces blanche for 2 minutes. With a colander in the sink, immediately drain the pork into the colander, getting rid of the blanching water, and rinse the pork with cold water to remove any residual scum from the blanching process.

Take a wok, and heat over medium-high heat. Add in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add in 4 cloves of garlic that's been crushed, and sauté for 1 minute till the garlic is lightly browned.

Add in 1/4 tbsp of dark brown sugar, let it melt slightly, then add in the blanched pork pieces. Sauté the pork for 2 minutes, till the pork pieces are lightly browned.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, add in 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of Shaoxing cooking rice wine, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns.

Cover with a lid and let it come to a boil. Gently simmer on medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking and that pieces don't get stuck to the bottom. Replace the lid after stirring.

After 1 hour, the pork pieces should be tender. Remove the lid and turn up the heat to the highest level. Let it boil over very high heat while constantly stirring to reduce and thicken the sauce to your desired consistency. We cook it for another 10 minutes uncovered on high heat. Serve over steamed rice. Enjoy!