Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe (Hong Shao Rou)

Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe

Serve: 2 to 4 people
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

For the pork belly
• 2 1/2 pounds pork belly, boneless and skin-on
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup Shaoxing wine
•2 tablespoons Knorr liquid seasoning
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cube Knorr pork bouillon
• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil (or other high smoking point cooking oil)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 pods star anise
• ¼ piece dried tangerine peel (sold in Chinese supermarkets or online)

For the syrup:
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoons rock sugar (sold in Chinese supermarkets or online)
• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil (or other high smoking point cooking oil)

Instruction

To prepare the pork belly:

In a large pot of water, over high heat, place a thoroughly cleaned pork belly in the pot. Bring water to a boil, and continue to cook for 10 minutes. (This will help to remove its blood, impurity, and gamey taste.)

Discard the water, and rinse the pork belly with running water.

Cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes.

To make the broth:

In the same pot, over high heat, add 4 cups of water in it, bring it to a boil. Season it with Shaoxing wine, Knorr liquid seasoning, dark soy sauce, and Knorr pork bouillon. Stir until everything is dissolved. Set aside.

To make the syrup, over medium-low heat, add the water and rock sugar. Cook until the sugar is melted and the liquid is very sticky. Carefully add the extra light olive oil (You can also use other high smoking point oil). Continue to stir until the syrup is lightly brown, about 3 minutes. (This syrup will give our pork belly its beautiful red shade.)

Pour the syrup into the broth. Whisk.

To cook the pork belly:

In another pot, over medium heat, add the extra light olive oil and pork belly. Stir fry until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Also add in the garlic, cinnamon, star anise, and dried tangerine peel. Cook until aromatic, 2 minutes.

Pour in the broth. Cover the lid, and bring it to a boil. Then immediately turn to low heat. Simmer for 1 hour.

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

Serve!