Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork Belly)
Hong Shao Rou is one of my favorite pork belly dishes of all time. Seriously. It's sticky, caramelized pork belly that's been braised until fork tender in a flavorful, aromatic sauce.
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1.5-2 lbs pork belly, cut into 1.5-2u0022 cubes
- 3 tbsp rock sugar, crushed (can substitute with white sugar)
- 3 stalks scallions (white part)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 2 slices ginger
- 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns, optional
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- 1
Cut the pork belly into 1.5-2" cubes. Place the pork belly chunks in a pot filled with water. Bring this to a boil, skimming off any scum and foam that float to the surface. Once all the scum has been removed, drain the boiling liquid and set the blanched pork belly aside.
- 2
Place the blanched pork belly cubes into a deep pot or wok. Fry over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the pork starts to brown on all sides and some of its fats begin to render.
- 3
Add in the crushed rock sugar. Toss to evenly coat the pork in the sugar and continue cooking until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn amber in color (be sure to stir occasionally to avoid burning).
- 4
Add in the bay leaves, star anise, white parts of the scallions, ginger, and sichuan peppercorns. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the aromatics are fragrant.
- 5
Pour in the shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and just enough water to barely cover the pork belly. Bring this to a boil, then let simmer with a lid for at least 1 hour (I find the sweet spot to be around 2-3 hours).
- 6
After simmering, remove the lid. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a fierce boil in order to reduce the braise into a thick, sticky glaze; continuing to toss occasionally to avoid scorching the bottom.
- 7
Once the liquid becomes thick and syrup-like in consistency, remove the pork belly off the heat. Serve over warm rice and top with more sauce. Enjoy!