红烧肉 Shanghainese style braised Pork Belly
Who knew this melt in your mouth dish can be both delicious and easy to make!
红烧肉 hóngshāoròu is a staple Chinese household dish loved by everyone. Which makes sense because who doesnt like chunks of pork belly braised in a thick soy sauce and then mixed with rice. The ultimate comfort food!
I cannot have this dish all the time but when I do I have to do it right! It’s made with Chinese base ingredients (ginger, garlic, scallions, star anise etc.) and a lot of patience. Approx 3 hours. haha How else are we going to get this tender-melt-into-my rice-and-mouth dish?
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1.5lb Pork Belly
50g Rock Sugar
1T Canola Oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 small bayleaves
2 star anise
2 stalks Scallions
1T peeled crushed ginger
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/4tsp salt (or salt to taste)
1/4 cup of dark soy sauce
1/4 cup shaoxing wine
3 cups of water
Directions:
Boil pork belly on high for approx. 10 mins (until fully cook). Drain water and clean residue off pork belly. Chop pork belly into 1.5-2inches in length.
On medium, add canola oil and pork belly. Sear each side until slightly brown. There should now be more oil in the pan (from the pork belly). Set Pork belly on side and add in your aromatics (star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaf). Stir for 1 minute. Add in rock sugar and stir-crush them in the oil until completely melted (turn to a lower heat if it starts burning). Add in ginger, scallions, and garlic. Stir for approx. 1 minute.
On medium-low. Add in the pork belly, shaoxing wine, dark soy, salt and water. Let it braise on a light simmer for 3-3.5 hours. *make sure to watch as its cooking. By the last 30mins. There should still be water covering the pork belly and if not please add water as you go.
After 3 hrs. (or until pork belly is tender) take cover off and turn to high-medium heat. We’re now reducing the sauce to a glaze. Please stir every minute or so for about 15mins, so the sauce doesn’t burn. There should be enough glaze to cover the pork belly and more.
Serve with bok choy and enjoy with a bowl of short grain rice! The sauce goes a long way. Enjoy~~
