Red Braised Pork Belly红烧肉
The crown jewel of Chinese home cooking — skin-on pork belly cubes slow-braised with rock sugar, soy sauce, and huangjiu until meltingly tender and glazed in a mahogany-colored sauce. Worth every minute of the nearly 2-hour braise.
soy-sauce
30 ml
dark-soy-sauce
15 ml
rock-sugar
25 g
huangjiu
45 ml
Seasoning Guide: Start with the listed baseline amounts, then adjust gradually after tasting. Fine-tune salt, sugar, acid, and finishing oils in small increments.
Cut Pork Belly into Cubes
Cut the pork belly into uniform 3cm cubes.
Wash And Drain The Ingredients
Wash and drain the ingredients.
Cut Scallion Segments
Cut an appropriate amount of small scallions into segments.
Heat Oil and Add Rock Sugar
Heat a small amount of oil in the wok. Add rock sugar and cook over low heat until it melts into an amber caramel.
Stir-fry Pork Until Fragrant
Once the aromatics are fragrant, add the pork belly pieces and stir-fry until the meat is aromatic and lightly caramelized.
Add Huangjiu
Add Shaoxing wine (huangjiu) to deglaze the wok. The alcohol helps remove any remaining gamey flavors from the pork.
Add Warm Water to Cover
Add enough warm water to cover the pork. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Simmer on Low Heat for 45 Minutes
After boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally during cooking.
Add Tofu Knots and Braise Together
Blanch tofu knots for 1 minute, drain, and rinse. Add them to the braising pork after 30 minutes and continue cooking together.
Reduce the Sauce
Reduce the sauce until glossy and concentrated.
Finish and Serve
Transfer the glazed red-braised pork belly to a serving plate. Serve while the sauce is still glossy and hot.
Serving Suggestion
Serve Red Braised Pork Belly hot with plain rice and one light vegetable side.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave before serving.