Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly)
Glossy soy-and-sugar braised pork belly.
Ingredients
- 900 g Pork belly
- 3 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 50 g Rock sugar
- 2 Star anise
- 1 Ginger
- 3 Scallions (optional)
Method
- Cut the pork into cubes and blanch in boiling water to clean, then drain.
- Caramelise the rock sugar in a dry pot over medium heat until amber, then add the pork and turn to coat in the caramel.
- Add the dark soy, light soy, wine, star anise, ginger, and enough water to almost cover, then cover and braise gently until the pork is tender.
- Uncover and reduce the sauce over higher heat to a glossy glaze that coats the pork.
- Scatter the scallions over and serve with rice.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly)
Hong shao rou, or red-braised pork belly, is one of the icons of Chinese home cooking, a dish famously associated with Chairman Mao's home province of Hunan but beloved all across China. Cubes of pork belly are blanched to clean them, then caramelized in melted rock sugar before braising slowly in dark and light soy, Shaoxing wine, star anise, and ginger. The name means red-cooked, describing the deep mahogany color the soy and caramel lend the meat, and that sugar-and-soy foundation is what defines the style.
The signature of a great hong shao rou is the glaze: after braising, the sauce is reduced over higher heat until it clings to each cube in a glossy, sticky lacquer. The eating experience is all about the interplay of the silky, fat-rendered belly and the sweet-savory sauce, with warm star anise and a hit of Shaoxing wine running underneath. It's rich and indulgent, meant to be eaten in small pieces over plenty of plain steamed rice, which soaks up the sauce and balances the fattiness. Caramelizing the sugar properly at the start is the step that gives the finished dish both its color and its rounded, almost bittersweet depth.
Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly): frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly)?
A serving has about 624 calories — 12g protein, 8.8g carbs, 59.8g fat, 0.5g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly) gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Dark soy sauce, Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
How long does Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly) take to make?
About 90 minutes start to finish, but only around 26 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly)?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly) make?
This recipe makes 8 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.