Aged Pu-erh Braised Pork Belly
A slow-braised pork belly where aged Sheng pu-erh replaces plain water in the braising liquid, lending deep woody, dried-fruit undertones to a classic Chinese red-braise.
This dish borrows from the Chinese red-braising tradition (hongshao) but swaps out part of the braising liquid for strongly brewed aged Sheng pu-erh. The tea's mellow, woody depth melts into the sauce over hours of slow cooking, adding a subtle earthy backbone beneath the usual soy, sugar, and star anise.
Aged Sheng is the right choice here specifically because its tannins have softened with time — a young, bitter Sheng would clash with the pork fat and turn the sauce astringent, while the aged cake's dried-fruit and camphor notes fold in seamlessly, rounding out the sweetness of the rock sugar instead of fighting it.
Browning the pork belly first in its own rendered fat, then deglazing with the tea, is the key step: it lets the tea's aroma bloom into the fond before the other aromatics join. From there, low and slow is everything — at least ninety minutes at a bare simmer until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced to a glossy coating.
Serve this over steamed rice with a small pot of the same aged pu-erh brewed lighter on the side, exactly the way a Cantonese cook would round out a rich braise with a plain, digestive cup of tea at the table.
Ingredients
- 900g pork belly, cut into 3cm cubes
- 2 cups strongly brewed aged Sheng pu-erh, cooled
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 40g rock sugar (or 3 tbsp brown sugar)
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 3 scallions, cut into 5cm lengths
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
How to make it
- 1Blanch pork belly cubes in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse.
- 2Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add pork belly and brown on all sides, rendering some fat, about 8 minutes.
- 3Add ginger, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 4Pour in the Shaoxing wine to deglaze, then add the brewed pu-erh, both soy sauces, and rock sugar. Stir to combine.
- 5Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 90 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the pork is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
- 6Uncover for the last 15 minutes to reduce the sauce further. Serve hot over steamed rice.
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