Chinese Red Braised Pork! (Sticky Pork Belly)

There are dishes that are meals, and then there are dishes that are journeys. Chinese Red Braised Pork belly, my friends, is a voyage. This age-old recipe takes an ingredient as humble as pork and slowly, over hours of gentle braising, transforms it into a dish that's rich, sweet, salty, and nothing short of magical.

Braising is like that friend who tells you to chill when you're stressed out. It takes the pork belly, which is a tough, fatty piece of meat, and over a low, gentle heat, transforms it into a tender, melt-in-your-mouth experience. The pork is first seared, then simmered in a mix of soy sauce, sugar, and spices, turning into this glistening, caramel-like concoction. It's like magic, but edible.

Making Red Braised Pork at home is a labor of love. It requires patience and a knack for balancing flavors. But man, is it worth it. The whole process becomes sort of therapeutic, watching the pork slowly take on this deep red color, absorbing all those flavors. So here's to homemade Red Braised Pork, the dish that turns a humble pork belly into an epic culinary journey. Don't say I didn't warn you. 🤘🏼Adam

Yield: 4-6 servings

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Chinese Red Braised Pork! (Sticky Pork Belly)

Ingredients

• 1 inch Ginger knob, peeled and sliced
• 3 Scallions, 2 inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp Neutral Oil
• 1 Star Anise
• 1/2 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Pork Belly, 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup Shaoxing Cooking Wine
• 3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
• 1 inch hunk of Rock Sugar or 3 Tbsp White Sugar
• 1/4 cup Dark Vinegar (Balsamic works)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup Dark Vinegar or Balsamic

Instructions

1. Add the oil to a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Lightly fry the ginger and scallions for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the star anise, cinnamon and bay leaf. Cook one minute more.
2. Add the cubed pork belly and cook for 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, dark vinegar and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved into the mixture. Add in the water then cover and simmer until tender for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Serve over white rice. Add a bit of rice to the spoon, add pork belly, then take bite. Optionally serve with a small bowl of good soup.

Chinese Red Pork Ingredients:

1 inch Ginger knob, peeled and sliced

3 Scallions, 2 inch pieces

3 Tbsp Neutral Oil

1 Star Anise

1/2 Cinnamon Stick

1 Bay Leaf

Pork Belly, 1 inch cubes

1 cup Shaoxing Cooking Wine

3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce

1 inch hunk of Rock Sugar or 3 Tbsp White Sugar

1/4 cup Dark Vinegar (Balsamic works)

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup Dark Vinegar or Balsamic

Red Braised Pork Technique:

1. Add the oil to a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Lightly fry the ginger and scallions for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the star anise, cinnamon and bay leaf. Cook one minute more.

2. Add the cubed pork belly and cook for 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, dark vinegar and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved into the mixture. Add in the water then cover and simmer until tender for 45 minutes to an hour.

3. Serve over white rice. Add a bit of rice to the spoon, add pork belly, then take bite. Optionally serve with a small bowl of good soup.