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A blue-rimmed oval platter filled with Chairman Mao's red braised pork topped with sliced scallions and a serving spoon resting on the side.
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5 / 2 votes

Red Braised Pork ~ 红烧肉 Hong Shao Rou

Red braised pork belly is an authentic Chinese dish made with pork belly that's slowly braised in soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, and spices until sticky and sweet. It's so good, we're affectionately referring to it as "pork candy."
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1270

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork belly, rind removed
  • 2 teaspoons five-spice powder
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • One (1 1/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 6 scallions, chopped, green and white parts separated
  • 2 1/4 ounces rock sugar or 4 tablespoons superfine sugar (64 g)
  • 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
  • 2 tablespoons black or rice vinegar
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 whole dried Thai or Vietnamese chile peppers
  • 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
  • Steamed rice
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pork and boil for 10 minutes.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: There will be some significant shrinkage of the pork belly due to being in the water. And that’s okay.

  • Drain the pork belly and rinse it under cool water. Chop the pork belly into 1 1/4 inch (3 cm) pieces. In a large bowl toss the chopped pork belly with the five spice powder to coat.
  • In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Working in batches, brown the pork belly on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl.
  • Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, add the ginger and the chopped white parts of the scallions, and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and stir constantly until it dissolves.
  • Return the pork to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add the soy sauces, rice wine, vinegar, star anise, dried chile, and water.
  • Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and sticky and and the sauce is glossy and reduced, 30 to 40 minutes more.
  • Remove and discard the star anise and chiles. Sprinkle the chopped green parts of the scallions over the hong shao rou and serve it alongside the rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 1270kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 124g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Monounsaturated Fat: 58g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 1180mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g