China · Hunan
Hunan Home-Style Red-Braised Pork
Cubes of pork belly braised dark with soy, rock sugar and dried chili until soft and glossy, hot enough to clear the head.
Hunan home versions of red-braised pork are darker and hotter than the northern ones, and this one leans on dried chili rather than warm spices. The caramel is cooked dark on purpose, because Hunan tables like a deep color on a braise. Adding boiling water rather than cold is what keeps the meat from seizing as it sits in the pot.
Ingredients
- skin-on pork belly500 g
- cooking oil10 g
- bay leaf5 pieces
- ginger3 pieces
- rock sugar6 pieces
- cooking wine20 g
- light soy sauce5 g
- dark soy sauce2 g
- salt2 g
- star anise3 pieces
Directions
- 1
Rinse the skin-on pork belly, put it into cold water with two or three slices of ginger to draw off any gaminess, and once it boils lift it out and rinse the white scum away under cold water.
- 2
Cut the pork belly into pieces about one and a half centimeters square.
- 3
Heat the wok with the oil, add the rock sugar and stir over low heat until it turns caramel colored, then add the cut pork and stir-fry over medium heat to color it.
- 4
Add the prepared ginger slices, star anise, cassia bark, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, dried bird's eye chili and salt, stir-fry over low heat for one minute and add boiling water to cover the meat.
- 5
Cover, bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn to low heat and simmer for thirty minutes, stirring every ten minutes so nothing catches on the bottom.
- 6
When the liquid has reduced to about a third, turn the heat to medium, reduce the sauce and serve.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.