Being close to middle age, Bill and I try to eat less meat and be healthier. We’re not health nuts by any means; we’d eat anything if we didn’t have to worry about getting muffin tops.
There are many times when the two of us go into a bakery or gourmet shop just to look. But Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly (hong shao rou) is an exception!.
So for most of our home-cooked meals these days, we try to stay pretty healthy–lots of veggies. But today, thanks to viewers like you, we’re having pork for dinner (and a vegetable, of course). We’re just giving the hungry public what they want, after all.
Some people in China call this dish “red cooked pork” or “Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly.” Everyone knows it, and there are many versions and twists based on the original. Adding squid (sounds weird, but it’s really tasty), hard-boiled eggs, and tofu knots (one of Sarah’s favorites) are some of the most well-known changes. See my mother’s recipe for Hongshao Rou for this variation).
And others not so similar but really good are Cantonese roast pork belly and Twice cooked pork belly.
The list goes on, but since I’m from Shanghai, I like to cook the original, un-embellished Shanghai-style version. This recipe for Shanghai pork belly is meant for two to three people, since I’m cooking for three. I think you could easily double or triple the recipe for more people, though. You may have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
It only needs pork belly, oil, rock sugar or granulated sugar, wine, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. That’s right, just SIX ingredients. Crazy, right?.
With its rich mahogany hue and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, hong shao pork is one of the most beloved pork dishes in Chinese cuisine. From its aromatic spices to its sweet and savory sauce, this braised delight captures the very essence of Chinese homestyle cooking. But what exactly is hong shao pork, and how did it earn its place at the Chinese dinner table? Let’s unravel the history and prep behind this irresistible dish.
A Brief History Lesson
Hong shao pork, also known as red braised pork, originated in the Jiangsu region of eastern China. “Hong shao” translates to “red cooked,” describing the deep reddish-brown color that comes from braising the pork in a seasoned sauce. While the exact origins are uncertain, hong shao pork likely emerged during the Qing Dynasty around the 17th-18th centuries. Its popularity flourished as the dish spread from Jiangsu to the neighboring Shanghai region.
Today, hong shao pork remains a staple of home cooking across China. From simple weeknight family meals to celebratory feasts, a luscious pork belly creation in glossy sauce is the ultimate comfort food. The dish has also earned fame abroad as Chinese restaurants around the world showcase hong shao pork on their menus.
Decoding the Main Ingredients
The beauty of hong shao pork lies in its short list of ingredients that yield incredible depth of flavor. Here’s what goes into this sauce-coated delicacy
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Pork belly The cut of choice for hong shao pork is pork belly, prized for its perfect balance of rich, fatty meat and smooth, melt-in-your-mouth skin. The pork is typically cut into 1-inch cubes
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Soy sauce A mix of light and dark soy sauce delivers a complex savory essence Dark soy provides a molasses-like caramel hue.
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Rice wine: Chinese rice wine like Shaoxing imparts sweetness and acidity to balance the saltiness of soy.
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Rock sugar: A touch of rock sugar enhances the lovely caramel tones of the braising liquid.
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Aromatics: Garlic, ginger, scallions, and star anise pump up the flavor.
Getting the Cooking Process Right
With so few core ingredients, nailing the cooking technique is key to hong shao perfection. Here’s an overview of the foolproof process:
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Blanch the pork: Quickly blanching the meat cleanses impurities and infuses seasoning.
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Brown the pork: Cooking the pork in hot oil and sugar caramelizes the exterior.
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Slow braise: Long, gentle simmering in the seasoned sauce delivers fork-tender pork.
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Reduce the sauce: Lowering the heat concentrates the liquid down to a luscious glaze.
When cooked with care, the pork transforms from a simple belly cut into the sticky, glistening bites of hong shao pork that diners crave.
A Classic for Home Cooks
Once you grasp the ingredients and technique, hong shao pork is approachable for cooks of all levels. With just a pork belly, soy sauce, wine, and aromatics on hand, you can achieve restaurant-caliber results at home.
To make it on a weeknight or weekend, simply:
- Cut 1.5 pounds pork belly into 1-inch cubes
- Blanch pork, then brown in oil and sugar
- Braise pork in sauce with garlic, ginger, scallions, and star anise
- Simmer until fork-tender and sauce thickens
- Serve over rice and enjoy!
When this Chinese braised delicacy graces your dinner table, it will win over even the pickiest eaters. The richly flavored, fall-apart pork and luscious glaze are hard to resist.
A Dish for the Ages
Centuries after its birth, hong shao pork remains a staple of Chinese cooking for its complex yet balanced flavors. Much like mac and cheese or pot roast in American cuisine, hong shao pork conjures feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and celebration.
Beyond just another braise, this dish represents a beloved cooking tradition passed down through generations. While styles vary by region, the basic tenants of tender pork belly and a glossy sauce remain timeless. When you dig into juicy cubes napped in that sweet, savory, and slightly spicy glaze, you’ll taste why hong shao pork has earned its place as a Chinese classic.
Shanghai Braised Pork Belly: Recipe Instructions
Start by cutting your pork for your Shanghai braised pork belly. Cut the pork belly into 3/4 inch thick pieces.
Then bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the pork for a couple minutes. This gets rid of impurities and starts the cooking process. Take the pork out of the pot, and set it aside. Discard the water in the wok and clean it out.
Over low heat, add oil and sugar to your wok. Melt the sugar slightly and add the pork. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the pork is lightly browned.
Lower the heat again and add water, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing cooking wine. A bottle of each kind of soy sauce will last you a year if you buy them at an Asian market. They are both very important for the color and taste of this dish.
Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until pork is fork tender. Every 5-10 minutes, stir to prevent burning and add more water if it gets too dry. If there is still a lot of liquid in the wok after the pork is fork-tender, cover it, turn up the heat, and stir the sauce all the time until it forms a shiny coating.
Then it’s time to eat! Let us know in the comments if you want us to make any other versions of this dish. (not that we’re looking for another excuse to make it or anything…).
Get one of these clay or earthen pots to serve your Shanghai Style Braised Pork Belly (hong shao rou) when you have people over.
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Red Braised Pork Belly (HongShaoRou)
FAQ
What does hong shao rou taste like?
What is the meaning of Hong Shao?
What was Chairman Mao’s favorite dish?
Is hong shao rou healthy?
What is hong shao rou made of?
But that the end of day, hong shao rou is simply pork belly cooked in a braising liquid made of Shaoxing cooking wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and aromatics like green onion, ginger, and star anise (depending on who’s making it). Why is red braised pork red?
How do you cook red cooked pork (hong shao rou)?
We’ve already posted a Red Cooked Pork (Hong Shao Rou) recipe made by our mom. Today, we come to you with our grandma’s Hing Shao rou – red cooked pork. Start by cutting up your pork belly. Then fill a pot with cold water and submerge your eggs. Put the pot on the stove and gently bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, boil the eggs for 5 minutes.
Where does hong shao rou come from?
Originating from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of China, this dish features succulent pork belly braised in a savory-sweet sauce infused with aromatic spices. Follow along with this recipe to recreate the authentic flavors of Hong Shao Rou in your own kitchen.
What is hong shao Ruo?
The definition of “hong shao ruo” is red braised meat. It means meat that has been braised in the mixture of soy sauce, cooking wine and aromatics to the point where it has taken on the dark caramelized red color of the soy sauce. This picture looks like chunks of fatty pork belly sitting in broth. Fine, but nothing special.