Shanghai Soy Braised Pork
Tender pork belly braised in a savory-sweet soy sauce until it melts in your mouth. A classic Chinese comfort dish that tastes restaurant-quality but comes together easily at home.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 472
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork belly, skin removed
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 inches ginger, fresh
- 6 whole garlic cloves
- 3 whole scallions, green tops only
Instructions
- 1
Cut the pork belly into 2-inch cubes by laying it flat, slicing it lengthwise into 2-inch-wide strips, then cutting straight down across those strips into 2-inch chunks.
- 2
Peel the ginger by scraping with the edge of a spoon, then cut it lengthwise into thin slices about the thickness of a coin — you should have roughly 8–10 slices.
- 3
Smash each garlic clove by placing it on the cutting board, laying the flat side of a large knife blade on top, and pressing down firmly with the heel of your hand until the clove cracks.
- 4
Cut the scallion green tops (the dark green parts) diagonally into 1-inch lengths, starting at the top and cutting at a 45-degree angle as if slicing a pencil.
- 5
Place the pork cubes in a large pot and cover them with cold water, then bring to a boil over high heat — you'll see large, rolling bubbles breaking the surface.
- 6
Pour the pork into a colander to drain, rinse the pieces under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear, then return the clean pork to the pot.
- 7
Add the ginger slices, smashed garlic cloves, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar to the pot with the pork, then pour in 1.5 cups of fresh water.
- 8
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat — you'll see large bubbles breaking the surface — then immediately turn the heat down to medium-low so only small bubbles gently rise.
- 9
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring once every 20 minutes to ensure even cooking, until the pork is fork-tender and easily pierces when prodded.
- 10
Remove the pot from heat and let it sit, uncovered, for 3 minutes so the surface stops bubbling and the sauce cools slightly.
- 11
Scatter the scallion pieces over the top of the pork in the pot, distributing them evenly across the surface.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch diameter heavy pot with lid
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- colander
- spoon
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