🥘 Red-braised pork belly (hong shao rou)

Name: Red-braised pork belly (hong shao rou)
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: China · Hunan / Shanghai
Ingredients: 600 g skin-on pork belly, in 3 cm cubes; 30 g rock sugar or white sugar; 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 2 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 4 slices ginger; 2 star anise; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 500 ml hot water

Origin: China · Hunan / Shanghai

510kcal

per serving · 200 g

255kcal

per 100 g

20 gProtein10 g / 100 g

42 gFat21 g / 100 g

12 gCarbs6 g / 100 g

Hong shao rou is Chinese red-braised pork belly: cubes of pork are browned with caramelised sugar, then slowly braised with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger and star anise until the fat melts and the sauce turns glossy and dark. The meat is meltingly soft, sweet and savoury. It is served with plain steamed rice and a green vegetable.

Diets

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

✓

Low-carb6 g carbs per 100 g

Not vegetarianbecause of: pork belly

Not veganbecause of: pork belly

Contains porkbecause of: pork belly

Contains glutenbecause of: soy sauce

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Gluten ⚠ Soy

What it is made of

pork bellysoy saucesugarstar anisegingershaoxing wine

Recipe

4 servings120 min

Ingredients

600 g skin-on pork belly, in 3 cm cubes
30 g rock sugar or white sugar
3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 slices ginger
2 star anise
1 tbsp vegetable oil
500 ml hot water

Method

Blanch the pork in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and pat dry.
Heat the oil with the sugar over low heat until it melts into an amber caramel.
Add the pork and stir to coat, then add the ginger, star anise, wine and both soy sauces.
Pour in the hot water, cover and simmer gently for 60–90 minutes until very tender.
Uncover and boil, stirring, until the sauce reduces to a sticky glaze.

How to make it lighter

Pork belly is very fatty: serve 3–4 pieces per person with lots of greens.
Chill the braise and lift off the solid fat before reheating.
Choose a leaner piece of belly or mix in some pork shoulder.

History

Red braising is an old Chinese technique, and hong shao rou is cooked in many regional styles, notably in Shanghai and Hunan. The Hunan version is widely associated with Mao Zedong, who is said to have loved the dish, which is why it is sometimes called Chairman Mao's pork.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →