Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly)
Pork belly caramelized in rock sugar, then braised in Shaoxing, soy, and star anise.
Ingredients
- 1000 g Pork belly
- 60 g Rock sugar
- 60 ml Light soy sauce
- 30 ml Dark soy sauce
- 150 ml Shaoxing wine
- 30 g Ginger
- 2 Star anise
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp Peanut oil
- 4 Scallions (optional)
- 2 Dried chilies (optional)
Method
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
- Cut the pork belly into 3 cm cubes, skin on.
- Slice the ginger into coins and halve the scallions.
- Blanch the pork in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse.
- Heat the oil and rock sugar in the dry Dutch oven over medium-low heat, stirring, until amber — about 4 minutes.
- Add the pork and toss to coat in the caramel until glossy brown, about 3 minutes.
- Splash the Shaoxing wine in around the rim of the pan and let it sizzle until the raw alcohol smell cooks off.
- Add the light and dark soy, ginger, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, chilies, and enough water to cover.
- Bring to a simmer, then cover and braise gently for 80 minutes, stirring every twenty.
- Uncover and reduce over medium heat until the sauce coats the pork in a glossy lacquer, about 15 minutes.
- Spoon the pork and sauce over steamed rice and serve.
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About Hong Shao Rou (Red-Braised Pork Belly)
Hong shao rou, or red-braised pork belly, is one of the defining dishes of Chinese home cooking, associated above all with Hunan and famously beloved by Mao, though versions appear across the country. What sets it apart from a plain braise is the caramel foundation: rock sugar is melted in oil until amber, and the cubed, skin-on pork belly is tossed in it until every piece turns glossy and mahogany. From there the meat braises slowly in Shaoxing wine, light and dark soy, ginger, scallions, and warm spices like star anise and cinnamon until it collapses into tenderness.
The reward for the long simmer is a texture that alternates between silky fat, gelatinous skin, and yielding meat, all coated in a syrupy, savory-sweet glaze that clings to each cube. The flavor is deep and rounded, with the wine cooking off its raw edge and the dried chilies adding a low background warmth rather than sharp heat. Blanching the pork first and rinsing it keeps the braise clean and the final sauce clear rather than muddy. Serve it with plenty of steamed white rice to soak up the glaze, and a plain vegetable or pickle alongside to cut the richness.
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 719 calories — 13.5g protein, 11.8g carbs, 68.1g fat, 0.8g 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 Light soy sauce, Dark 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 130 minutes start to finish, but only around 35 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, dried chilies — 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.