Recipe: Perfect Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork)

Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork). Hong Shao Rou is a Chinese classic. The tender, juicy pork is coated in a glossy sauce that is sticky, savory, sweet, and full of fragrance. However, all of them use the red braise cooking method to give the pork a glossy caramelized char.

I have introduced Maoshi red braised pork belly previously and this style is mild Sushi without chili and spices. There are many varieties of Hongshao Rou. This is my favorite Chinese red braised pork belly recipe - also known as Hong Shao Rou, to the tune off Manu Chao - Bella Ciao. You can cook Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork) using 10 ingredients and 15 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork)

1. Prepare 2 lb of pork belly (5 layer is best. 3 fat 2 meat) cut into 3/4-inch thick pieces.
2. You need 3 tablespoons of white wine/shaoxing wine/sherry.
3. You need 2 tablespoon of light soy sauce.
4. It's 3 teaspoon of dark soy sauce.
5. You need 300 ml of water/top up as needed.
6. You need 1 of Spring onions.
7. It's 3 Cloves of Garlic minced.
8. You need 5 of good slices of pealed ginger root.
9. Prepare 2 of star anise.
10. Prepare 1 of rock of sugar/handful of brown sugar.

Everyone knows hong shao rou (red cooked pork) is a Shanghai favorite. 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. Red braised pork belly or hong shao rou is a classic pork dish from mainland China, red cooked using pork belly and a combination of ginger, garlic, aromatic spices, chilies, sugar, star anise.

Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork) instructions

1. Image of Ingredients.
2. Blanch - Place the pork belly in a pot and cover it with cold water and bring to a boil..
3. Once it starts to boil remove the meat..
4. Drain the the pork..
5. Clean off any residue..
6. Cut the belly into 3/4-inch thick pieces..
7. Add oil and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar to a pan/dish. Melt the sugar until brown..
8. Add the meat and make sure to cover it with the oil and sugar..
9. Once the meat has a bit of colour add the white wine/shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and the water..
10. The spices..
11. Add the spices to the dish and cover with a lid and simmer/braise for 3 hours..
12. After an hour check to see if you need to add more water, Add 200mls every hour if needed..
13. An hour before serving add a good hand full of brown sugar or a block of rock sugar..
14. Finished - Remove the ginger, star anise and spring onions..
15. Serve with rice and chopped green onions.

This traditional braised pork belly dish is a crowd-pleaser for any special occasion. This is a part of our Chinese New Year menu with chef Simone Tong. How would you rate Red-Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)? Pork belly is braised with soy sauce, cinnamon, star anise, and lots of garlic until red and sticky in this family recipe for Hong Shau Rou. It was a hit with the whole family!