Red-Braised Pork Belly with Shou Pu-erh
Hong shao rou braised in a shou pu-erh broth—glossy, melting, earthy, and balanced by the tea's gentle astringency.
Red-braised pork belly is one of the great Chinese braises—glossy cubes of skin-on belly slow-cooked in soy, sugar, and aromatics until the fat is silken and the meat is meltingly tender. Building the braising liquid on a base of shou pu-erh gives the dish a quiet earthy depth that pairs back to the tea you serve alongside.
Skin-on pork belly is non-negotiable—the collagen-rich skin is what gives the braise its lacquered shine and lip-sticking texture. Ask the butcher to cut it into 3 cm cubes if your knife isn't sharp enough.
Blanching the belly first is the step home cooks often skip. It removes scum and the porky off-notes, and gives you a cleaner braise. Don't shortcut it.
The caramel-then-deglaze technique is the classic move: rock sugar is melted to a deep amber in oil before the meat is added. The Maillard-like color and faint bitterness this creates is what defines hong shao rou—anything else is just sweet stew.
Ingredients
- 800g skin-on pork belly, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 3 cups brewed shou pu-erh (2 tbsp leaves in 3 cups water, 5 min)
- 3 tbsp rock sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 scallions, cut into 5 cm lengths
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper
How to make it
- 1Blanch pork belly in cold water brought to a boil. Simmer 3 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water. Pat dry.
- 2In a heavy pot, heat oil and rock sugar over medium-low. Stir until sugar melts and turns deep amber (3–4 minutes). Watch it—burnt caramel ruins the dish.
- 3Add pork belly and stir to coat every cube in caramel. Cook 3–4 minutes until edges are browned.
- 4Add ginger, garlic, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, and bay. Stir 1 minute. Pour in Shaoxing wine and let bubble 30 seconds.
- 5Add both soy sauces, white pepper, and the brewed shou pu-erh (enough to almost cover). Bring to a simmer.
- 6Cover and braise on the lowest heat 75 minutes. Uncover and simmer 15 more minutes, basting often, until the liquid reduces to a glossy syrup that coats every cube. Serve over steamed rice.
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