“Hong Shao” Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe

Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe

Serve: 2 to 4 people

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour and 30 minutes 

For the pork belly

• 2 pounds pork belly, skin-on
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 thinly sliced ginger
• 5 cups water
• 3 star anise
• ¼ piece dried tangerine peel (sold in Chinese supermarkets or online)
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup Shaoxing wine
• 1 stalk scallions, minced, for garnish

For the garlic:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 cloves garlic

For the syrup:

• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons yellow rock sugar (sold in Chinese supermarkets or online)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instruction

To prepare the garlic, in a pan, add the vegetable oil and garlic, stir fry over medium high heat until golden brown, 3 minutes. Take it out and set aside. 

To prepare the pork belly, in a large pot, fill out water in it, and put in the pork belly. Bring to a boil and continue to cook over high heat, 5 minutes. (This will help to remove anything that might be dirty on the pork belly skin and gamey taste.) Take it out. Wait until slightly cool. Cut it into 1-inch cubes.

To cook the pork belly, in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, add the ginger and cook over high heat until fragrant, 1 minute. Pour in the water. Also add the star anise, dried tangerine peel, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, Shaoxing wine. Mix a little. Cover the lid. Bring to a boil. Then turn to low heat and cook for 30 minutes. 

In the meantime, to make the sugar syrup, in a small pan, add the water and yellow rock sugar. Use low heat to melt the sugar. Then add the vegetable oil, stir over low heat until it turns light brown, 3 minutes. Pour the syrup in the pork belly. 

After 30 minutes, add 1 extra cup of water, if the water level is low and can no longer cover the pork belly. Add back the garlic pieces. Continue to cook, covered, low heat, 30 minutes. 

Before serving, uncover the lid, and turn to high heat to reduce the sauce, 5 minutes. Lastly, add the scallions. 

Serve!

(Adapted from the original recipe)