Red-Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)

Blanch the pork

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pork cubes. Boil for 2–3 minutes until the surface turns pale gray and foam rises to the top, then drain and rinse under warm water. This step washes away blood and impurities so the finished dish tastes clean, not muddy.

• 900 g pork belly cubes

✅ Done when: the pork surface turns pale gray and foam has risen to the top of the water

Caramelize the sugar

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or wok over medium-low heat, add the rock sugar, and stir slowly as it melts. Watch closely: once it turns the deep amber color of melted caramel, move fast, as a few extra seconds will turn it bitter.

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 30 g rock sugar

✅ Done when: the sugar has fully melted and turned a deep amber, caramel color

Sear the pork

Add the drained pork to the caramel and raise the heat to medium. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until every cube is coated in glossy caramel and lightly browned, then add the ginger, scallion whites, star anise, cinnamon stick and bay leaves, and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

• 900 g pork belly (blanched)
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 scallion whites
• 2 star anise
• 1 small piece cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves

✅ Done when: the pork is coated in dark caramel and the aromatics smell fragrant

Add wine and soy sauce

Pour in the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, stirring so every piece turns a deep mahogany color. Add the water, just enough to cover the pork, bring to a boil, and skim off any foam that rises.

• 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 600 ml water

✅ Done when: the liquid has come to a full boil and the surface is skimmed clean of foam

Braise low and slow

Cover the pot, lower the heat so the liquid barely bubbles, and simmer gently for 60–75 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the heat low throughout: this slow, steady simmer is what melts the collagen in the skin and renders the fat soft, instead of leaving it chewy.

✅ Done when: a chopstick slides easily through a piece of pork and the skin feels jelly-soft

Reduce the sauce

Uncover the pot, raise the heat to medium-high, and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, turning the pork pieces often so they cook evenly in the thickening sauce. Remove the star anise, cinnamon stick and bay leaves once the sauce clings to the meat like a glossy syrup.

✅ Done when: the sauce has reduced to a thick, glossy glaze that coats each cube of pork

Serve and enjoy

Spoon the pork and its glossy sauce over bowls of steamed white rice, and finish with the reserved sliced scallion greens on top.

• to garnish reserved scallion greens
• to serve steamed white rice