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Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly)

28 March, 2021 by Tara 20 Comments

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A recipe for Hong Shao Rou (红烧肉, Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly)! Pieces of pork belly are slowly simmered in a soy sauce mixture with warming spices until tender with a gorgeous reddish glaze.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly) in a bowl with rice and Bok Choy.

I first came across Hong Shao Rou (红烧肉) in the cookbook, Every Grain of Rice, and it has since become one of my absolute favorite ways of cooking pork belly.

This Shanghai-style pork belly does take some time to prepare, but it is mostly hands-off. The pieces of pork belly are first boiled in water for a few minutes to remove any impurities, rinsed and drained, then coated in an oil/sugar mixture to start to build that beautiful shine.

To finish, the pork is slowly simmered in a spiced and sweetened soy sauce until tender and covered in a thickened, caramel-like coating.

I served the pork belly over a bed of freshly steamed rice alongside Bok Choy, but it is also delicious paired with steamed buns or even flatbread (check out Red House Spice’s recipe for Rou Jia Mo, 肉夹馍).

Aerial view of Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly) in a clay pot.

A Few Tips

Check out The Woks of Life’s Grandma’s Version for an incredible combination of pork belly, hard-boiled eggs, and tofu puffs.

Briefly cook the pork in water before caramelizing to help remove impurities and reserve the cooking water. Remove the pork from the pot and rinse well with cold water. Make sure to pat dry before adding to the oil/sugar mixture to reduce the amount of splatter.

After searing the pork and combining the ingredients, I transferred the mixture to a large clay pot to simmer. If you don’t have a clay pot available, use a wok or large saucepan with a lid.

Add a splash or two more of the reserved water if the mixture gets too dry while simmering. If the sauce is still too watery after simmering, remove the lid and slightly increase the heat to reduce the liquid until thickened and bubbling (stir often to keep the bottom from burning).

If too much fat accumulates at the top towards the end of cooking, use a spoon to carefully scoop it out and save for another use.

Leftovers will last up to three days refrigerated in an airtight container.

Notable Ingredients

I have been able to find slabs of skin-on pork belly in markets with East Asian ingredients and specialty butchers.

Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒) is a fermented rice wine originally from Shaoxing in the Zhejiang province in eastern China. I have been able to find it at larger grocery stores with a sizeable wine selection, such as Wegmans, and in markets specializing in Chinese ingredients. Dry sherry can be used as a substitution if you absolutely cannot find it.

Dark Soy Sauce is also known as sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce, or thick soy sauce. It is available in markets with East Asian ingredients or on Amazon at a higher price: Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark Soy Sauce.

Rock sugar (冰糖, Bing Tang) is a light crystallized sugar with a little less sweetness than granulated sugar. It can be found in markets with Chinese ingredients. If you are unable to find it, substitute with light brown sugar or granulated sugar.

Looking for more Chinese recipes?

Try my:

  • Xiao Long Bao (Chinese Soup Dumplings)
  • Hong Kong Style French Toast
  • Gulou Yuk (Sweet and Sour Pork)
Close up of Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly) in a bowl with rice and Bok Choy.

This post was originally published in May 2016 and updated March 2021.

Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly) Recipe

Adapted from Every Grain of Rice

Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly in a bowl with rice and Bok Choy.
Print Pin
5 from 10 votes

Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly)

A recipe for Hong Shao Rou (红烧肉, Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly)! Pieces of pork belly are slowly simmered in a soy sauce mixture with warming spices until tender with a gorgeous reddish glaze.
Course Main
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword China, Chinese, meat, pork, pork belly, Shanghai
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (900 grams) skin-on, boneless pork belly cut into 3/4-1 inch (2-2.5 centimeter) slices
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons (40 grams) rock sugar or light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) Shaoxing wine
  • 2 cups (473 milliliters) reserved water from cooking the pork
  • 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon (30 milliliters) dark soy sauce
  • 3 green onions white and light green part cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces and lightly crushed (thinly slice dark green and reserve for garnish)
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and lightly crushed
  • 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) fresh ginger unpeeled and sliced
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

  • Place the pork belly slices in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook, skimming the foam off the top, for 5 minutes.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork, rinse with cold water, dry well, and set aside in a bowl. Reserve the water in the pot.
  • In a large wok or skillet, place the oil and sugar over low heat. Once the sugar is hot and melted, carefully add the pork slices (they may splatter if not fully dried) and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until well coated and golden.
  • Add the Shaoxing wine followed by the 2 cup (473 milliliters) reserved pork water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, light green onion pieces, garlic, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to low and transfer the mixture to a clay pot or a wok with a lid and cover. Simmer until the pork is tender, about 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning. If the mixture becomes dry, add a little more reserved pork water.
  • If the mixture is still watery when the pork is tender and ready to serve, remove lid and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has thickened into a glistening sauce and coats the pork thoroughly.
  • Serve immediately with rice and topped with thinly sliced green onions.
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Filed Under: Asian, Meat, Pork

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tamara

    23 May, 2016 at 4:29 pm

    I so love pork belly, and this dish just looks amazing! I indulge in it at a restaurant only occasionally, and have never cooked it. Perhaps I should throw caution to the wind (and my lean proteins) and give it a whirl. I have all of the ingredients! Pinning…

    Reply
  2. Sarah @ Champagne Tastes

    23 May, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    The flavors in this sound fantastic! That sauce looks so delicious and easy.. I bet it would even be great without the pork and with tofu instead. Yummm

    Reply
  3. Vicky @ Avocado Pesto

    23 May, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    Absolutely love the sound of this dish! Spent 2 months backpacking in China back in 2012 and this brings me right back to my travels!

    Reply
  4. Karly

    23 May, 2016 at 6:15 pm

    Giiiiiirl, you have those ingredients covered! I love being able to scan through a post and see what I can use, tips on finding it, and ways to substitute if I can’t get my hands on some of the more specialty items. Love it.

    Reply
  5. Emily

    23 May, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    This braised pork recipe looks amazing! I rarely make braised pork but you have me wanting to make this asap… looks so tender and flavorful!

    Reply
  6. Sharee @ Savory Spicerack

    24 May, 2016 at 10:07 am

    These photos are beautiful! I love any Asian recipe that has pork belly in it! Pinning this one!

    Reply
  7. Molly Kumar

    24 May, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    Such a flavorful recipe and gorgeous pictures. I love Chinese food and this is going in my list to try.

    Reply
  8. Mandee Pogue

    24 May, 2016 at 1:21 pm

    Okay, I have never heard of this before, but I am definitely going to be trying it, because it smells delicious!

    Reply
  9. Sandra

    24 May, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    This pork dish looks so flavorful! I’m going to look for the wine you used in this so I can make this!

    Reply
  10. Florentina

    25 May, 2016 at 12:12 am

    I love star anise , such a lovely flavor. I need to start using it more in my cooking, thanks for the reminder.

    Reply
  11. Agnieszka

    29 March, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve been looking for a good pork belly recipe and this one sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Michelle

    29 March, 2021 at 12:27 pm

    5 stars
    I love hong shao rou — this looks incredibly flavourful, tender and delicious! Craving this with a bowl of steamed rice right now!

    Reply
  13. Anjali

    29 March, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    5 stars
    I love all of the spices you added to this recipe! It made it so rich and flavorful!

    Reply
  14. Sara Welch

    29 March, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    5 stars
    Served this for dinner last night and it does not disappoint! So bold and hearty; easily, a new family favorite dish!

    Reply
  15. Irina

    29 March, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    I made the pork meal for our lunch today, and it turned out perfect. The flavors and the taste are absolutely delicious!!!

    Reply
  16. Juli

    3 April, 2021 at 9:08 pm

    5 stars
    This looks stunningly fantastic! I make something similar with country style pork ribs and now I can’t wait to try with pork belly.

    Reply
  17. Alison

    26 January, 2022 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    Super flavorful and simple to make! A new favorite!

    Reply
  18. Casey

    26 January, 2022 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    Flavor, flavor, flavor! Amazing! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  19. Jamie

    26 January, 2022 at 11:28 am

    5 stars
    I love all the flavors in this braised pork! It’s perfect with a bowl or two of fresh steamed rice. Delicious!

    Reply
  20. Nathan

    26 January, 2022 at 11:33 am

    5 stars
    This Hong Shao Rou looks so tender and flavorful! Fantastic with the rice too.

    Reply

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