Red-Braised Pork Belly

Method

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Put the pork in a pan of cold water with two ginger slices and a splash of the wine, bring to the boil, and simmer 4 minutes. Drain, rinse and pat completely dry.

   Mark done

2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat, add the rock sugar, and let it melt and turn amber, swirling rather than stirring, about 4 minutes.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

3. Tip in the pork and toss for 3 minutes until every cube is coated in caramel and lightly browned.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

4. Add the remaining ginger, spring onion, star anise, cinnamon and chillies and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

5. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and let it bubble hard for 30 seconds, then add both soy sauces and the hot water — it should just cover the pork.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

6. Bring to the boil, then reduce to the barest simmer, cover, and cook 60 to 75 minutes until a chopstick slides through the fat with no resistance.

   Mark done Start 60 min timer

7. Uncover, add the salt, and raise the heat. Reduce for 12 to 15 minutes, spooning the sauce over constantly, until it is syrupy and lacquers every cube.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

8. Fish out the aromatics and serve over rice with the sauce spooned across.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• The initial blanch is what keeps the sauce clean. Skipping it leaves scum that clouds the final glaze.
• Caramel goes from amber to acrid in seconds. Have the pork within arm's reach before you start melting the sugar.
• Boiled eggs peeled and added for the last 20 minutes soak up the sauce beautifully and are the traditional partner.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the red chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Plain steamed rice, which is essential
• Blanched greens with oyster sauce
• Strong pu-erh tea

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days — the flavour improves overnight. Lift off the set fat before reheating gently. Freezes 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.