Chinese Red-braised Pork Belly

Quick answer

Total time: 80 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Hongshao rou is Chinese pork belly braised with caramelized sugar, two soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and scallion.

Cut 800g pork belly into large chunks, blanch it in boiling water for 3 minutes, and drain it well. Blanching removes surface residue and some rendered fat so the finished sauce does not become cloudy or excessively greasy. Melt 2 tablespoons sugar slowly in an empty pot. As soon as it reaches a deep caramel color, add the pork before the sugar burns and turns bitter, then turn the pieces until every side is coated. Stir in 20g ginger and 60g scallion, followed by 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, and 700ml water. Bring the liquid to a full boil, lower the heat, and maintain a quiet simmer for 45 minutes. Turn the chunks only when needed so they stay intact. When chopsticks enter the meat easily and the center is at least 63C, raise the heat slightly to reduce the broth. Stop when the sauce lightly coats the pork with a reddish-brown gloss, then rest it for 3 minutes before serving. Watch the pot closely during the final reduction because the sugar and soy sauce can catch on the bottom.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

pork belly800 gg

soy sauce4 tbsptbsp

dark soy sauce1 tbsptbsp

sugar2 tbsptbsp

shaoxing wine3 tbsptbsp

ginger20 gg

green onion60 gg

water700 mlml

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Cut 800 g pork belly into large chunks and blanch it in boiling water for 3 minutes.

Drain it well so excess fat and heavy aroma are reduced before braising.
2

Control

Put 2 tablespoons sugar in the pot and melt it slowly over low heat.

When it turns a deep caramel color, move to the next step immediately before it burns and turns bitter.
3

Heat

Add the blanched pork and coat it evenly with the caramel.

When the surface looks glossy and a little fat renders out, add 20 g ginger and 60 g green onion and stir-fry briefly.
4

Season

Pour in 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, and 700 ml water.

Raise the heat and bring it to a full boil so the seasoning disperses evenly.
5

Control

Once it boils, reduce to low heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Keep the liquid gently moving, and turn the pork only occasionally so the pieces absorb seasoning without breaking apart.
6

Control

When chopsticks enter the pork easily and the center reaches at least 63C, raise the heat slightly and reduce the liquid.

Stop when the sauce lightly coats the meat, then rest it for 3 minutes before serving.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Caramelized sugar coats the pork before the braising liquid is added.
Finish cue: Stop when the sauce lightly coats the meat, then rest it for 3 minutes before serving.
Avoid this: Do not skip blanching, or the dish can taste greasy.
Substitution: During the final reduction, stop when the sauce lightly coats the pork instead of adding more soy sauce and concentrating the salt too far.