Hong Shao Rou: Braised Pork Belly
This is a dish where the texture is everything. You are looking for that specific point where the fat has rendered enough to become nearly translucent and gelatinous, while the lean meat remains intact.
Control the heat to avoid burning the sugars.
Keep a kettle of boiling water nearby; adding cold water to the hot pan will toughen the pork instantly.
- heavy-bottomed dutch oven
- tongs
- sharp chef's knife
What goes in.
- 2 lbpork belly, skin-on, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 3 tbsprock sugar
- 3 tbspShaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsplight soy sauce
- 1 tbspdark soy sauce
- 3 slicesfresh ginger
- 2star anise
- 1cinnamon stick
- 2 cupsboiling water
Melting the sugar
Melt the rock sugar in a little oil over low heat until it turns a deep amber. If it turns black, start over; bitterness will ruin the base of your sauce.
The method.
Blanch the pork
Place pork cubes in cold water, bring to a boil for three minutes, then drain and pat dry. This removes impurities that create gray foam during braising.
Sear the pork
In a dry dutch oven over medium heat, sear the pork belly cubes on all sides until the fat renders and the edges turn light brown. Remove pork and set aside.
Caramelize
Add the rock sugar to the pan with a teaspoon of oil. Once it turns amber, immediately toss the pork back in to coat.
Build the braise
Add Shaoxing wine, soy sauces, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon. Pour in the boiling water until the pork is just submerged.
Simmer
Cover and cook on low heat for 90 minutes. Check occasionally to ensure the liquid hasn't evaporated.
Reduce
Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir constantly for 5-10 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and the pork glazes.
Other turns to take.
Hard-boiled egg addition
Add peeled hard-boiled eggs during the final 30 minutes of braising to soak up the sauce.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a heavy lid to keep the moisture inside; you want a consistent environment for the collagen to break down.
If the sauce looks too thin at the end, don't rush the heat. High heat will burn the sugars before the sauce glazes.
Choose pork belly with a good balance of fat and meat layers; too much lean will result in dry bites.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of rock sugar?
Yes, but the final glaze will be less shiny and the sweetness will be sharper rather than mellow.
How do I know when the pork is done?
The pork should offer zero resistance when pierced with a chopstick.
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