Dongpo Rou

How to Make Dongpo Rou

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1. Blanch the pork squares in boiling water 5 minutes, then drain and rinse them.

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2. Tie each square around its middle in both directions with butcher's string, like a parcel.

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3. Lay the whole spring onions and ginger slices across the base of a heavy pot to make a raft.

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4. Set the pork squares on top, skin side down, in a single layer.

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5. Pour in the Shaoxing wine, both soy sauces, the rock sugar and the water. The liquid should nearly cover the pork.

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6. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook over the lowest heat 2 hours 30 minutes.

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7. Turn each square skin side up and cook uncovered 30 minutes, basting, until the sauce is syrupy.

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8. Lift the squares carefully into bowls, skin up, and steam them 20 minutes to finish.

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9. Strain the sauce, reduce it if thin, and spoon it over. Scatter with spring onion and snip the strings at the table.

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Notes for Getting It Right

• Tie every square. Untied pork falls apart in the pot.
• A raft of spring onion and ginger so nothing touches the base.
• Mostly wine, not water. It is the whole flavour.

Changing the Recipe

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

What Goes With Dongpo Rou

• Steamed rice
• Blanched greens
• A pot of green tea

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Stir-Fried Water Spinach, Vegan Fried Rice.

Storing & Reheating Dongpo Rou

Refrigerated for 4 days and better on the second. Freezes 3 months.

Dongpo Rou Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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