Red Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes to eat with a bowl of rice. Meltingly tender pork belly braised in a savory, slightly salty, and sweet sauce. I used pork belly, but many Chinese families will use pork shoulder or pork ribs for a less fatty option.
Ingredients
- 1 pound skin-on pork belly
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 green onion (chopped into 1-inch pieces)
- 4 slices ginger
- 3 tablespoons crushed rock sugar (or sugar)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
- 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 piece star anise
- 2 cups water (or chicken stock)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the pork belly for 2 minutes. What this does is firm up the pork belly so it is easier to cut.
- Transfer the pork belly to a cutting board and cut into ¾-inch chunks.
- In a large nonstick pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add the pork belly, ginger, and green onions. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until the pork belly develops a golden brown color.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the rock sugar and continue stir-frying for another 3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Transfer to a small clay pot, cover, and simmer on the lowest setting for 45-60 minutes until the pork is tender. Check every 15 minutes or so and add extra water as necessary.
- If there is still a lot of liquid left, remove the pork then boil the liquid for 5-10 minutes until it thickens. Add back the pork and toss to coat. Enjoy!