“Hong Shao” Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe

This iconic Chinese dish, also known as “Hong Shao Rou” or Red Braised Pork Belly, is rich, glossy, and full of deep umami flavor. It’s comfort food at its finest—tender cubes of pork belly slowly simmered in soy sauce, aromatics, and caramelized rock sugar until melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Serve it with steamed rice for a showstopping meal that tastes like home.

Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe

Serving: 2 to 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

For the pork belly:
2 pounds pork belly, skin-on
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 slices ginger, thinly sliced
5 cups water
3 pods 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

Red Braised Pork Belly Instructions

1. Prepare the garlic:

• In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic cloves and stir-fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Boil the pork belly:

• In a large pot, add enough water to cover the pork belly. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 5 minutes to remove impurities and reduce gamey flavor.
• Remove the pork belly and let it cool slightly. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

3. Braise the pork belly:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Add the sliced ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the pork belly cubes, 5 cups of water, star anise, tangerine peel, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and Shaoxing wine. Stir briefly to combine.
• Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Make the syrup:

• While the pork is simmering, combine 2 tablespoons of water and yellow rock sugar in a small pan over low heat.
• Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
• Continue stirring until the mixture turns a light amber color, about 3 minutes. Carefully pour the syrup into the pork pot.

5. Continue simmering:

• After 30 minutes, check the water level—add 1 more cup of water if it no longer covers the pork.
• Return the garlic cloves to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes.

6. Reduce the sauce:

• Uncover the pot and increase the heat to high. Boil for about 5 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce to a glossy finish. Stir gently to coat the pork.

7. Finish and serve:

• Sprinkle minced scallions over the top and serve warm with steamed white rice.

Tips & notes

• If you can’t find dried tangerine peel, substitute with a small piece of fresh orange peel (white pith removed) for a hint of citrus aroma.
• Yellow rock sugar gives the sauce a beautiful sheen and gentle sweetness, but regular granulated sugar works in a pinch.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day!