The hongshao rou (紅燒肉) is a braised pork belly, with a combination of ginger, sugar, star anise, light and dark soy sauce, and rice wine.
Also called red-braised pork – or brown sauce – (hongshao), the pork belly is cooked until the fat and skin become gelatinous, soft, and melt easily in the mouth, while the sauce is usually thick, sweet, and rather sticky.
The dish is often prepared with boiled eggs – as we tasted it in Shanghai – or vegetables, used to absorb the juices of the recipe.
Many Chinese provinces have slightly different versions, but the Hunan version, where it is called “Mao-style red-braised pork”, is the most popular throughout China specializing in the so-called “Mao-style cuisine”.
The Hunan provincial government codified the recipe for the dish, specifically deciding that only the meat of the famous Ningxiang pig breed should be used in authentic hongshao rou.
Pork belly is an ingredient used in many Asian recipes like the Korean Bossam, the Filipino Pancit palabok, and …
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Slow cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork belly with skin (cut into squares)
- 3 inches fresh ginger
- 3 tbsps rice wine
- 3 tbsps light soy sauce
- 3 tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 2 scallions
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon of cold water)
- 4 boiled eggs
- as needed vegetable oil
Steps
• Blanch the pork belly:
cut the pork belly into 1-inch thick pieces and put them in a pot along with half of the ginger sliced thinly.
Fill the pot with enough water to cover the pork belly and bring to a boil.
Let the pork belly boil for about 10-15 minutes and skim off the foam occasionally.
Drain the pork belly and rinse it with water to remove any residue/impurities.
• Braise the pork belly:in a medium pot over medium heat, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot.
Add the blanched pork belly and the remaining ginger slices.
Pan-fry for about 3-5 minutes to slightly brown the pork belly and lose some excess fat.
Drain the excess fat.
Add the rice wine along the edge of the pot and sauté the pork belly for 10-15 seconds.Then add both soy sauces and the sugar. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
Add the water (2 cups), the scallion, and the star anise.Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.
Let the pork belly simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until it becomes tender and well-colored.
Stir occasionally. And add the eggs in the last 10 minutes of braising.
Once the pork belly is tender, remove both the pork belly and the eggs.
Discard the scallion, ginger, and star anise.
If necessary, remove the oil from the braising liquid and lower the heat to keep the braising liquid at a simmer. At this point, the braising liquid should reduce.
Pour the cornstarch into the reduced braising liquid while stirring. Continue to stir until the braising liquid is thickened and shiny.
Add the pork belly and eggs back to the sauce and gently stir to coat.
• Garnish and serve:serve the braised pork belly accompanied by white rice if desired.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Where is the Hunan province located?
It is a province of China, located along the middle course of the Yangtze River and south of Dongting Lake (hence the name Hunan, meaning “south of the lake”).
The Hunan is sometimes called Xiāng.
The capital is Changsha.
Hunan cuisine includes various spicy recipes compared to the rest of Chinese cuisine and relies on the abundance in the province of high-quality fresh chili peppers and other spices or aromatic plants like Sichuan pepper, garlic, shallots, and ginger.
