Chinese Red Braised Pork Belly Hong Shao Rou 🥢✨

Description

Chinese Red Braised Pork Belly, also known as Hong Shao Rou, is rich, glossy, deeply savory, and beautifully caramelized, with tender cubes of pork slowly braised in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, star anise, and a dark amber sugar glaze. It is one of China’s most iconic comfort dishes, visually powerful, highly searchable, and perfect for a premium GrannyZen main dish. ✨

Hook ✨

Sticky soy glaze, melting pork belly, warm spices, and deep red-brown shine make this Chinese classic feel bold, luxurious, and unforgettable from the first bite. 🥢

Ingredients

• Pork and aromatics 🍖
• 🥓 800 g pork belly, skin-on if possible, cut into 3 cm cubes (1.76 lb)
• 🫚 25 g fresh ginger, sliced (2 tbsp / 0.9 oz)
• 🧅 40 g spring onion, cut into large pieces (½ cup / 1.4 oz)
• 🧄 12 g garlic, lightly crushed (3 cloves / 0.42 oz)
• Braising sauce 🥢
• 🥢 45 ml light soy sauce (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🍶 30 ml dark soy sauce (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍷 120 ml Shaoxing wine (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
• 🍬 35 g rock sugar or brown sugar (3 tbsp / 1.2 oz)
• 💧 500 ml hot water (2 cups / 17 fl oz)
• Spices 🌶️
• ⭐ 2 star anise
• 🌿 1 small cinnamon stick
• ⚪ 4 g white peppercorns (1 tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🍊 1 small strip dried orange peel, optional
• 🌶️ 1 dried red chili, optional
• For finishing ✨
• 🧅 10 g spring onion, finely sliced (2 tbsp / 0.35 oz)
• ⚪ 5 g toasted sesame seeds (1 tsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🍚 steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Blanch the pork belly 🍖
2. Place the pork belly cubes in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, and cook for 4 min. Drain, rinse gently, and pat dry. This removes impurities and helps the final sauce look cleaner and glossier. ✨
3. 2️⃣ Caramelize the sugar 🍬
4. Add the sugar to a heavy pot with 15 ml water (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz). Cook over medium heat for 3–4 min until it melts into a deep amber syrup. Watch carefully so it darkens but does not burn. 🔥
5. 3️⃣ Coat the pork 🥓
6. Add the pork belly to the caramel and stir for 2–3 min until the pieces are coated in a shiny golden glaze. The pork should start to look glossy and lightly browned around the edges. 🥢
7. 4️⃣ Add aromatics and wine 🍷
8. Add the ginger, spring onion, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, orange peel, and chili if using. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and let it bubble for 1 min to release its aroma. 🌿
9. 5️⃣ Build the braise 🍲
10. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and hot water. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover partly and simmer for 75 min, stirring occasionally so the pork cooks evenly. 🥢
11. 6️⃣ Reduce the sauce ✨
12. Remove the lid and simmer for another 20 min until the sauce becomes thick, glossy, and able to coat the pork belly. Stir gently so the cubes stay intact and the glaze turns deep red-brown. 🍖
13. 7️⃣ Finish and serve 🍚
14. Remove the whole spices if desired, then finish with sliced spring onion and toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice so the rich sauce can soak into every grain. 🥢

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 105 min
🛋 Rest: 0 min
⏰ Total: 125 min

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