Red-Braised Pork Belly
Cubes of pork belly slowly braised in caramelized sugar, soy and spices until they are meltingly tender and coated in a sticky, mahogany glaze.
ChineseFood
15 minPrep
1 hr 30 minCook
1 hr 45 minTotal
MediumDifficulty
Ingredients
Method
- Put the pork in a pot of cold water with a few ginger slices and a splash of wine. Bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes, then rinse and drain well.
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the pork until the edges are golden and some fat has melted out. Lift the pork out.
- Turn the heat to low, add the rock sugar to the fat and stir until it melts and turns amber. Return the pork and toss to coat.
- Add the wine, both soy sauces, the remaining ginger, the scallions and the spices. Pour in hot water until the pork is just covered.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 60–75 minutes, until a chopstick slides easily into the meat.
- Remove the lid, turn the heat up and reduce the liquid, stirring often, until a glossy sauce coats the pork. Season with salt to taste.
Tap an ingredient or step to tick it off as you cook.
Tips
- Always add hot water: cold water makes the meat tighten up.
- Caramelizing sugar goes from amber to burnt in seconds. Lift the wok off the heat if it darkens too quickly.
- Like most braises, it tastes even better reheated the next day.
Original recipe by the FileYay team. Amounts are a starting point, so taste and adjust as you go.