Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork Belly)

Hong Shao Rou is one of my favorite Chinese pork belly dishes of all time. Seriously. It’s sticky, caramelized pork belly that’s been braised until fork tender in a flavorful, aromatic sauce.

I had it for the first time in my friend’s house back in 2007. His grandma would always cook us these meals in between our sessions of playing X-box and Gamecube with these rice bowls…In retrospect, I honestly think I looked forward more to eating his grandma’s meals than actually gaming.

My favorite part about this recipe is that the pork just becomes increasingly more tender and flavorful as the braising process goes on. The fat on the belly transforms into a silky, velvety texture that’s incredibly rich, balanced out by the more leaner, meatier parts of the belly.

As with most home cooked meals, hong shao rou may vary from household to household, even transforming across different regions. Some may make their recipe more on the sweeter side, others more on the spicy side. Regional recipes could also include boiled eggs (my personal favorite) to make it a more filling meal.

The red color of the pork belly comes from either caramelizing the rock sugar and/or using dark soy sauce to further deepen its red color. Though they both contribute to the overall flavor of the dish, it also makes the pork belly pop, giving it its iconic deep red hue.

Tips for Hong Shao Rou

• Blanch your pork belly: Quickly boiling meats and skimming off the scum that float to the surface is a common practice used in many recipes of Asian cuisine. It not only helps to keep your final sauce clear, but it also aids in removing any unpleasant smells or tastes in the pork as a result of their impurities being released throughout the cooking process.
• Caramelize your sugar: Caramelizing your sugar gives the braising liquid its signature sweetness and deep amber/red color. Be sure to watch the sugar carefully as it can easily burn and turn your dish bitter!
• Allow the pork belly ample time to braise: You’ll need some patience for this recipe to ensure a tender, flavorful hong shao rou. I’d recommend at least simmering for 1 hour, giving the belly enough time to absorb the liquid and render out some of its fat. If you’re hardcore, you could even go for longer (maybe 2-4 hours), and you’ll see just how incredibly tender and flavor-packed the pork belly can become.

Instructions

Blanch the pork belly:

Cut the pork belly into 1.5-2″ cubes. Place the pork belly chunks in a pot filled with water. Bring this to a boil, skimming off any scum and foam that float to the surface. Once all the scum has been removed, drain the boiling liquid and set the blanched pork belly aside.

Prepare hong shao rou:

Place the blanched pork belly cubes into a deep pot or wok. Fry over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the pork starts to brown on all sides and some of its fats begin to render.

Add in the crushed rock sugar. Toss to evenly coat the pork in the sugar and continue cooking until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn amber in color (be sure to stir occasionally to avoid burning).

Add in the bay leaves, star anise, white parts of the scallions, ginger, and sichuan peppercorns. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the aromatics are fragrant.

Pour in the shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and just enough water to barely cover the pork belly. Bring this to a boil, then let simmer with a lid for at least 1 hour (I find the sweet spot to be around 2-3 hours).

After simmering, remove the lid. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a fierce boil in order to reduce the braise into a thick, sticky glaze; continuing to toss occasionally to avoid scorching the bottom.

Once the liquid becomes thick and syrup-like in consistency, remove the pork belly off the heat. Serve over warm rice and top with more sauce. Enjoy!

Here’s a couple more comforting, home-cooked meal recipes you might enjoy:

• Orange Chicken
• Shrimp Sinigang
• Steak Donburi
• Chicken Adobo

Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork Belly)

5.0 from 16 votes

Recipe by Ian Course: MainCuisine: Chinese

Hong Shao Rou is one of my favorite pork belly dishes of all time. Seriously. It’s sticky, caramelized pork belly that’s been braised until fork tender in a flavorful, aromatic sauce.

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Ingredients

• 1.5-2 lbs pork belly, cut into 1.5-2″ cubes

• 3 tbsp rock sugar, crushed (can substitute with white sugar)

• 3 stalks scallions (white part)

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 star anise

• 2 slices ginger

• 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns, optional

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 2 tbsp shaoxing wine

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

• Blanch the pork belly:
• Cut the pork belly into 1.5-2″ cubes. Place the pork belly chunks in a pot filled with water. Bring this to a boil, skimming off any scum and foam that float to the surface. Once all the scum has been removed, drain the boiling liquid and set the blanched pork belly aside.
• Prepare hong shao rou:
• Place the blanched pork belly cubes into a deep pot or wok. Fry over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the pork starts to brown on all sides and some of its fats begin to render.
• Add in the crushed rock sugar. Toss to evenly coat the pork in the sugar and continue cooking until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn amber in color (be sure to stir occasionally to avoid burning).
• Add in the bay leaves, star anise, white parts of the scallions, ginger, and sichuan peppercorns. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the aromatics are fragrant.
• Pour in the shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and just enough water to barely cover the pork belly. Bring this to a boil, then let simmer with a lid for at least 1 hour (I find the sweet spot to be around 2-3 hours).
• After simmering, remove the lid. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a fierce boil in order to reduce the braise into a thick, sticky glaze; continuing to toss occasionally to avoid scorching the bottom.
• Once the liquid becomes thick and syrup-like in consistency, remove the pork belly off the heat. Serve over warm rice and top with more sauce. Enjoy!

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