Red Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)

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Braised pork belly in a syrupy, sweet crimson sauce is known as Hong Shao Rou in China. This dish for pork belly is ideal for a holiday supper!

Holiday feasts are a time for celebration. So there’s no better way to enjoy Christmas vacation than with Hong Shao Rou, a Shanghai-style delicacy of scarlet braised pork belly.

The vivid red color is festive, and the flavor of pork belly is exquisite when seasoned and caramelized with sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and Shaoxing wine!

Red-cooking is used in many of the most famous Chinese pork belly recipes, as well as other pork and duck meals. For most occasions, this Chinese cooking method involves slow-braising pork belly with sugar-based seasonings until it caramelizes and becomes mouthwateringly soft.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs pork belly, skin on, cut into 1.5-inch pieces

• 3 cups water

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 7 tbsp brown sugar, divided

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)

• 1/2 cinnamon stick

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, sliced thin

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 2 star anise

• 10 Szechuan peppercorns (optional)

• To Serve: Steamed rice and stir-fried or blanched greens

Instructions

1. Blanch the Pork Belly:
   Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan or skillet.
   Add the pork belly pieces and blanch for about 1 minute per side, just until the outside firms up.
   Remove the pork belly to a cutting board and set aside. Keep the hot water—you’ll use it soon.

2. Flavor the Blanching Water:
   To the same pot of hot water, add garlic, ginger, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns (if using), and the cinnamon stick. Keep this water hot over low heat while you prep the pork. (Warm water keeps the pork tender when added back in later.)

3. Caramelize the Sugar:
   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven or deep pan over medium-low heat.
   Add 3.5 tbsp of the brown sugar and let it melt undisturbed until it begins to caramelize and turn a deep amber color. Stir gently to help it along, but don’t let it burn.

4. Brown the Pork Belly:
   Add the pork belly pieces to the caramel. Stir to coat each piece well, letting the caramel cling to all sides. Brown for a few minutes, turning gently.

5. Deglaze & Add Seasonings:
   Pour in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Stir to combine and coat the pork.

6. Simmer & Braise:
   Pour in the hot spiced water along with the aromatics. The liquid should come at least halfway up the pork. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so.

7. Check for Tenderness:
   After 2 hours, check the pork for tenderness—a chopstick should slide through easily. Continue braising if needed until melt-in-your-mouth tender.

8. Glaze the Sauce:
   Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium. Stir in the remaining 3.5 tbsp brown sugar.
   Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and glazes the pork.

9. Serve:
   Spoon the pork belly onto a platter and drizzle with the glossy sauce. Serve with hot steamed rice and your favorite greens.

Tips:

• Adjust sweetness to your taste by using more or less sugar.

• This dish gets even better after a night in the fridge—leftovers reheat beautifully.

• For extra shine, baste the pork pieces with sauce just before serving.

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