Dongpo Pork (Chinese Soy-Braised Melt-in-Mouth Pork Belly)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 175 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Dongpo rou is a Chinese-style pork belly braised slowly in soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, ginger, and green onion until the fat turns translucent and the lean sections absorb a deep mahogany glaze.
Read more
The belly is cut into thick five-centimeter squares and tied with kitchen twine so the layers stay together over the long cook. Searing the pieces briefly in hot oil before moving them to the braising liquid is not decorative; the Maillard reaction at the surface builds color and aroma that carry into the finished dish. Long cooking over low heat renders the fat layers meltingly soft, while the lean portions turn a deep mahogany from the soy and sugar. Rice wine drives off any porkiness and ginger sharpens the finish, though the dominant impression is a sweet, deeply savory richness. Named after the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo, the dish is appreciated for the luxurious texture of the rendered fat as much as for its flavor. Reducing the braising liquid separately and spooning it over the finished pieces produces a glossy coat that makes the plated result visually striking.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Cut 900 g pork belly into thick blocks about 5 cm across, then tie each piece with kitchen twine so the layers hold together.
Blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes, rinse under cold water, and pat very dry.
- 2Control
Heat a pan well over high heat, then sear each block skin-side down for 2 to 3 minutes.
Watch for splattering fat, and stop once the surface is golden and firm rather than dark or burnt.
- 3Control
Line the bottom of a heavy pot with 2 green onion stalks and 1 tbsp ginger to create an aromatic base and reduce sticking.
Place the seared pork belly on top with the skin facing down.
- 4Season
Add 4 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp rice wine, 2 tbsp sugar, and 700 ml water, then bring the liquid just to a boil.
Stir only the liquid gently so the sugar dissolves and does not sit on the bottom.
- 5Control
Cover and braise slowly over low heat for about 2 hours.
Spoon the liquid over the pork once or twice during cooking, and check that a chopstick slides into the lean meat with little resistance.
- 6Finish
Lift the pork out and let it rest briefly while reducing the remaining liquid over high heat until glossy.
Slice the pork thickly, spoon the sauce over the pieces, and serve while the fat is soft and warm.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Dongpo rou displays thick pork belly cubes braised slowly into a deep mahogany soy glaze.
- Finish cue
- Slice the pork thickly, spoon the sauce over the pieces, and serve while the fat is soft and warm.
- Avoid this
- Watch for splattering fat, and stop once the surface is golden and firm rather than dark or burnt.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
175min, 7 ingredients
Category median
48min, 8 ingredients
Based on 247 recipes
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