Hongshao rou or Chinese braised pork belly, the very famous typical recipe from mainland China made with pork belly slowly cooked together with ginger, soy sauce, garlic, scallion and cinnamon, finally joins my collection of Chinese recipes, like the Chinese dumplings, Almond Chicken and baozi. This irresistible comfort food is usually served with plain pilaf rice, which is enhanced by the sweet-and-sour sauce and the intensely flavored meat. This dish reminds me of other dishes of Asian origin such as curry chicken or Chicken tikka masala, which, although not part of Chinese cuisine, are similar in being one-dish meals with deliciously rich and spiced meat served with rice. The pork belly is cooked for a long time until the fat and skin become gelatinous and tender enough to melt easily in your mouth, while the sauce is usually thick, sweet and quite sticky. If you love Chinese cooking, this delicious recipe absolutely shouldn’t be missing from your collection of favorite dishes, so follow me in the kitchen and we’ll discover together how to make Hongshao. Before we get started, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients to make hongshao rou
- 2.2 lbs pork belly
- 3 1/2 tbsp white wine (or rice wine)
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce (i.e. the regular soy sauce you can find anywhere)
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce (used to give the pork the classic deep red color. Alternatively you can use the same amount of regular soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3 scallions
- A few slices ginger (a medium-sized root should be enough)
- 1 piece star anise
- 1 stick cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- to taste chili pepper
- 3 1/3 cups meat broth (the water used to blanch the pork will work perfectly)
- 1 2/3 cups Basmati rice
- 1 bouillon cube
Tools
- Pan
Steps to prepare hongshao rou
How to make it
To prepare Hongshao rou, start by cutting the pork belly into strips about 4 cm wide (about 1 1/2 inches). Place a pan filled with water on the heat and while you wait for it to boil, slice a scallion and a few slices of ginger.
Add the pork to the boiling water together with the ginger and scallion and blanch for 10 minutes; then set aside the broth and pat the pork belly strips dry with paper towels. In the same pan add about 1 1/3 tbsp (20 ml) of water and the brown sugar, letting the sugar dissolve and caramelize. Then add the pork belly and brown it for 1-2 minutes, after which add the white wine.
After browning the pork belly and allowing the wine to evaporate, add the soy sauces. After another 30 seconds add about 2 cups (500 ml) of water, the remaining scallions, the ginger, the cinnamon, the chili and the bay leaves. Cover with a lid.
Let the pork belly cook for about 1 hour, until most of the water has evaporated and a dark sauce has formed on the bottom of the pan. Finally add the vinegar and the cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
To cook the rice, rinse it thoroughly, cover it with water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat with the lid on the pot. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and, without removing the lid, let it rest for 10 minutes. Your rice is ready to be served with the pork belly. Enjoy!
Storage notes and tips
You can store hongshao rou in the refrigerator for 24 hours, well sealed in an airtight container, and reheat it before eating, but it won’t be as good as freshly made.
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