Red-braised pork belly (Hong Shao Rou)
Sticky, glossy Chinese braised pork belly with ginger, Shaoxing wine and star anise — rich, comforting and perfect with plain rice.
This is the Chinese red-braised pork belly everyone raves about — melt-in-the-mouth pork cubes in a shiny, caramelised soy glaze scented with star anise and ginger. It’s indulgent comfort food that’s deceptively simple to make at home.
Make it for a weekend dinner when you’ve got time to braise slowly (and maybe a little patience for the chill-and-reheat trick — it makes the slices beautifully neat). Serve with plain steamed rice and quick-blanched greens to cut the richness.
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork belly — skin-on, cut into 3cm cubes
- 600 ml water — for braising and blanching
- 40 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml dark soy sauce
- 50 ml Shaoxing wine — or dry sherry
- 25 g rock sugar — or 25g soft brown sugar
- 40 g fresh ginger — peeled and sliced into 3–4mm rounds
- 4 garlic — crushed lightly with the flat side of a knife
- 3 spring onions — halved lengthways; reserve greens for garnish
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 ml Sichuan peppercorns
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 5 ml fine sea salt — adjust at the end if needed
- 5 ml sesame oil — for finishing
- 10 g fresh coriander — leaves roughly chopped for garnish
Equipment
- large heavy-based casserole with lid
- frying pan
- slotted spoon or fine skimmer
- tongs
Instructions
Trim the pork belly into 3cm cubes. Pat dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
Place the pork belly in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium hob and simmer for 5 minutes, skimming any scum from the surface. This cleans the meat and prevents a cloudy braise.
Drain the pork, rinse briefly under cold water and dry well with kitchen paper. Discard blanching liquid.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the rock sugar and stir as it melts until it turns a deep amber colour — about 4–6 minutes. Remove from the heat the moment it reaches amber to avoid burning.
Return the pan to the hob, add the pork belly pieces and turn them in the caramel so they are lightly coated. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and cook for 2 minutes to evaporate alcohol and deglaze the pan.
Transfer the pork and any pan juices to a large heavy-based casserole. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, spring onions (whites), star anise, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns and the measured water. Stir gently to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and braise on the hob over the lowest heat for 90 minutes until the meat is tender.
Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium to reduce the braising liquid until it becomes a glossy, slightly sticky sauce and coats the pork, about 10–15 minutes. Stir occasionally and tilt the pan to baste pieces with the glaze. Finish with the sesame oil and check seasoning — add fine sea salt only if required.
Transfer pork to a shallow dish and refrigerate, uncovered, for 60 minutes to allow the fat to firm and the sauce to set. This is optional but makes slicing neater and intensifies the flavour.
Reheat gently on the hob for 5 minutes before serving, then scatter the reserved spring onion greens and fresh coriander over the top.
Tips
- Blanching the pork removes impurities — don’t skip it, or the braise will taste cloudy.
- Caramelise the sugar slowly and watch the colour; once it’s amber, act fast to coat the pork.
- Keep the braise at a very gentle simmer. A rolling boil will toughen the meat.
- Chill the cooked pork for an hour before slicing — the glaze firms and you’ll get neater portions.
- Make ahead: braise a day ahead, chill, then reheat gently; flavours improve overnight.
Substitutions
rock sugar → 25g soft brown sugar
Stays closeShaoxing wine → 50ml dry sherry
Stays closelight soy sauce → 40ml tamari (for gluten-free)
Noticeably differentpork belly → 800g pork shoulder (longer braise, leaner finish)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 900
- Calories
- 16 g
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 88 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this in the oven?
Yes — after combining everything in the casserole, cover and braise at 150°C fan/170°C conventional for 90–120 minutes until tender, then reduce uncovered to glaze.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on a low hob or in a low oven until piping hot.
Why did my sauce go grainy or separate?
Too-high heat during reduction can break the glaze. Reduce at moderate heat and stir occasionally; chilling and reheating also helps the sauce re-emulsify.
Can I use leaner pork or skinless cuts?
You can, but pork belly gives the signature unctuous texture. Leaner cuts will be drier and need a longer braise to become tender.
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