Braised Chinese Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)
Braised Chinese Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)
Ingredients
For the Pork Belly
- 1 1/2 pounds skin-on pork belly, cut into large cubes
- water, for blanching
For the Braising Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 star anise
- 3 cups water, or enough to cover the pork
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Shao Xing wine, or Mirin, dry sherry, or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, optional
- 2 stalks green onions, cut into large pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 knob ginger, sliced, optional
- 1 teaspoon MSG, optional
For Serving
- steamed white rice, as needed
- scallions, sliced, for garnish
- braising sauce, extra, for drizzling
Instructions
- 1
Cut the 1 1/2 pounds of skin-on pork belly into large cubes. Add the pork belly to a pot of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and blanch the pork for 10 minutes. After blanching, drain the pork belly and rinse it thoroughly under cold water to remove any impurities. Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels.
⏱️ 15 min
- 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the hot oil. Stir continuously until the sugar melts and caramelizes into a deep amber color, creating a bubbling caramel.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Add the blanched and dried pork belly to the caramelized sugar in the pot. Sear the pork belly on all sides until it is nicely browned and coated with the caramel.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Add the 2 stalks of green onions (cut into large pieces), 6 cloves of crushed garlic, and the optional knob of sliced ginger to the pot with the pork belly. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
⏱️ 2 min
- 5
Pour in 3 tablespoons of Shao Xing wine (or Mirin, dry sherry, or chicken stock). Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce. Include 1 cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, and 3 star anise. Add the optional 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce. Season with the optional 1 teaspoon of MSG. Pour in 3 cups of water, or enough to completely cover the pork belly.
⏱️ 3 min
- 6
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork belly is fork-tender.
⏱️ 90 min
- 7
After braising, if the sauce is too thin, carefully remove the pork belly from the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce to your desired consistency. Return the pork belly to the thickened sauce to coat.
⏱️ 10 min
- 8
Serve the braised pork belly hot over steamed white rice. Garnish with sliced scallions and drizzle with extra braising sauce.
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Braised Chinese Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)
For the Pork Belly
- 1 1/2 pounds skin-on pork belly, cut into large cubes
- water, for blanching
For the Braising Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 star anise
- 3 cups water, or enough to cover the pork
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Shao Xing wine, or Mirin, dry sherry, or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, optional
- 2 stalks green onions, cut into large pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 knob ginger, sliced, optional
- 1 teaspoon MSG, optional
For Serving
- steamed white rice, as needed
- scallions, sliced, for garnish
- braising sauce, extra, for drizzling
Instructions
- 1
Cut the 1 1/2 pounds of skin-on pork belly into large cubes. Add the pork belly to a pot of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and blanch the pork for 10 minutes. After blanching, drain the pork belly and rinse it thoroughly under cold water to remove any impurities. Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels.
⏱️ 15 min - 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the hot oil. Stir continuously until the sugar melts and caramelizes into a deep amber color, creating a bubbling caramel.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Add the blanched and dried pork belly to the caramelized sugar in the pot. Sear the pork belly on all sides until it is nicely browned and coated with the caramel.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Add the 2 stalks of green onions (cut into large pieces), 6 cloves of crushed garlic, and the optional knob of sliced ginger to the pot with the pork belly. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
⏱️ 2 min - 5
Pour in 3 tablespoons of Shao Xing wine (or Mirin, dry sherry, or chicken stock). Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce. Include 1 cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, and 3 star anise. Add the optional 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce. Season with the optional 1 teaspoon of MSG. Pour in 3 cups of water, or enough to completely cover the pork belly.
⏱️ 3 min - 6
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork belly is fork-tender.
⏱️ 90 min - 7
After braising, if the sauce is too thin, carefully remove the pork belly from the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce to your desired consistency. Return the pork belly to the thickened sauce to coat.
⏱️ 10 min - 8
Serve the braised pork belly hot over steamed white rice. Garnish with sliced scallions and drizzle with extra braising sauce.