April Recipe #2: Chinese Red Braised Pork (Hong Shao Rou) 🍲

Check out the stream where I made this recipe!

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⭐ Ingredients
1 lb pork belly or marbled shoulder
1 tbsp sugar
Few ginger slices
2 bay leaves
3 star anise
2 tsp black peppercorn
2 stalks green onion, cut to 1 inch segments
Splash of Shaoxing cooking wine
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
MSG
Enough water to cover meat and potential extra add-ins

Optional add-ins:
Hard boiled eggs
Boiled quail eggs
Potato
Fried tofu

• Cut pork into slightly bigger than bite-sized pieces.

• In a heavy bottomed pot with no oil, heat until hot and sear pork on all sides until fat is rendered out and it’s slightly golden brown in colour.

• Remove pork fat until about 1-2 tbsp remains in the pot.

• Push pork to one side of the pot and sprinkle in sugar to the hot pork fat.

• Stir sugar until it's dark brown and smells caramelized.

  • This step happens quickly so make sure to not go too over and burn it!

• Quickly mix the pork with the sugar until evenly coated.

• Add the rest of the ingredients except for the optional add-ins.

• Keep on gentle rolling boil (not simmer) for a total of 1 hr with the lid on, but slightly ajar to release steam. You can adjust the time depending on how big the pork pieces are.

• At the halfway mark, add in the add-ins so it soaks up all the flavour.

• Every once in a while, give the pot a stir to make sure nothing is sticking or burning on the bottom.

• If at any time the water doesn't look like it's enough, add a bit more during the cooking process.

• If water looks like it's too much when pork is tender, you can take the lid off and cook on high boil until the sauce renders down a bit.

• Adjust for seasoning as needed when the stock has cooked down a bit to prevent accidental over-seasoning.

• Enjoy with fresh hot rice!