Red-braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)
Red-braised pork belly is one of the representative dishes of traditional Chinese cuisine, with a long history that can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. The great literary master Su Dongpo not only left behind the legend of "Dongpo pork," but his culinary insight from "Ode to Pork" - "slow fire, less water, when the heat is right, it will naturally be delicious" - truly captures the essence of red-braised pork belly. This dish has spanned a thousand years to become an important symbol of Chinese culinary culture, representing reunion, abundance, and the warmth of home.
1Ingredients needed
Main ingredients
- Pork belly500g
Seasonings
- Star anise15g
- Green onion sections50g
- White sugar2 spoons
- Bay leaves2 pieces
- Ginger slices30g
- Yellow wine30g
- Rock sugar25g
2Production steps
Prepare pork belly
Cut pork belly into 2.5cm cubes, add to pot with cold water. After water boils, cook for 5 minutes, then remove and drain for later use.
Stir-fry sugar color
Heat wok with a little oil, stir-fry star anise until fragrant. Add fine sugar. Stir-fry to create caramel color. Cook until light yellow.
Stir-fry pork belly
When sugar is completely melted and slightly colored, add pork pieces and stir-fry. Continue stir-frying until water evaporates, color becomes translucent, and surface is slightly yellow.
Add seasonings
When oil renders, add yellow wine. Pour in soy sauce and stir-fry. Cook until yellow wine evaporates and soy sauce evenly coats the meat pieces.
Braising
After stir-frying meat evenly, add boiling water to pot, level with meat pieces. Then add green onion sections, ginger slices, and bay leaves. Finally add rock sugar. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes.
Season and reduce sauce
When meat is tender, remove green onion, ginger, star anise, and bay leaves. Add a little salt, then use high heat to reduce sauce. When sauce is reduced, it's ready to serve.
💡Making Tips
- •When cutting pork belly for red-braised pork, don't cut the pieces too small, as they will shrink by nearly half after cooking. Master the appropriate size when cutting.
- •When using water to remove odors from meat, always start with cold water. Use boiling water for braising. Master this technique, and the cooked meat will be very fragrant; otherwise, both texture and flavor will be poor.
- •Salt is optional - it's used to balance flavors. If it tastes too sweet, add a little less salt. If the soy sauce is very salty, you may not need additional salt. The finished dish should taste savory with a hint of sweetness; too sweet or too salty is not good.