Shanghai Red Braised Pork
Tender pork belly braised in a glossy soy-and-spice sauce until melt-in-mouth soft. A classic Shanghai dish that tastes restaurant-quality but requires just one pot and patient simmering.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork belly, skin-on
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rock sugar
- 1 piece ginger, 2-inch piece
- 6 cloves garlic cloves
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 3 stalks scallions
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- 1
Cut the pork belly into 2-inch cubes by first slicing it lengthwise into thick strips, then cutting each strip crosswise into 2-inch pieces with the skin facing outward on some cubes.
- 2
Smash the ginger piece with the flat side of a chef's knife by pressing the blade flat against it with your palm until it cracks and the skin loosens.
- 3
Remove the papery layers from the garlic cloves but leave them whole and unpeeled so they stay intact during braising.
- 4
Cut the scallions into 2-inch pieces by laying them flat on the cutting board and slicing straight down across the stalk every 2 inches.
- 5
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat, then carefully place the pork cubes into the boiling water and let them simmer for 3 minutes to remove impurities.
- 6
Pour the pork into a colander and rinse each piece under cool running water while gently rubbing the surface with your fingers to remove any gray film, then pat dry with paper towels.
- 7
Set a heavy 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and wait until the bottom feels very hot when you hover your hand 2 inches above it, about 2 minutes.
- 8
Add the blanched pork cubes to the hot pot in a single layer and let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes until the bottoms turn golden, then stir and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sides are lightly browned all over.
- 9
Pour in 0.5 cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, and 1.5 cups of chicken stock, then scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck-on brown bits.
- 10
Add the smashed ginger, whole unpeeled garlic cloves, 2 star anise, and 1 cinnamon stick to the pot and stir everything together until the spices are evenly distributed.
- 11
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of rock sugar over the pork, stir it in until mostly dissolved, then bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat — you should see steady small bubbles breaking the surface.
- 12
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and let the pork simmer gently for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking and braising.
- 13
After 60 minutes, remove the lid and check that the pork is fork-tender — it should break apart easily when pierced — and the sauce should have reduced to a glossy, mahogany-colored glaze coating the meat.
- 14
If the sauce is still too thin and watery, increase the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for another 10–15 minutes until the liquid reduces and becomes a thick, syrupy glaze that coats a spoon.
- 15
Turn off the heat and carefully fish out and discard the ginger piece, cinnamon stick, and star anise using a slotted spoon or tweezers.
- 16
Scatter the scallion pieces on top of the braised pork in the pot and stir gently once to combine.
- 17
Transfer the braised pork to a serving bowl or dish using a slotted spoon, allowing excess sauce to drip back into the pot, then pour the glossy sauce over the top.
Tools you’ll need
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- large pot (5-quart minimum)
- colander
- 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy braising pot with lid
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon
- paper towels
- serving bowl
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