Hong Shao Rou

Hong Shao Rou (红烧肉) is a popular Chinese dish. Literal translation of the dish is red braised pork. Essence of this recipe is braising pork in soy sauce and sugar, which gives the sauce a glossy caramelized finish. The dish originates from the Chinese province of Hunan, but nowadays it is associated with Shanghai. It was favorite dish of Mao Tse-tung, the founding father of China, and it is often referred to as Chairman Mao’s red braised pork.

Blanch (5min)
 500 g boneless pork belly(cubed, without skin, can be fronzen)
 water
 10 sichuan pepercorns
 3 slices of ginger
Sauté
 1 tbsp neutral oil
 1 green or yellow onion(squared)
Braise
 2 tbsp brown sugar
 2 tbsp light soy sauce
 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
 ¼ cup shaoxing wine
 2 star anise pods
 1 cinnamon stick
 1 citrus peel
 3 slices of ginger
 ½ tsp apple vinegar
 water(just to cover pork)
Garnish
 green onions

Blanching
1

This recipe works great from frozen, just blanch frozen meat and then cut it to larger cubes.

  • Traditionally this recipe is cooked with skin on. I’m don’t like skin so I tend to remove it.
  • Bring pot of water to a boil, add Sichuan pepper corns and pork.
  • Continue to cook for 5 minutes, to get rid of impurities and odd taste.
  • Remove pork from pot, rinse with water. Cut pork in to larger cubes.

Sear
2

  • Set your slow-cooker on sear and heat the oil.
  • Add blanched pork, onion and sear until gold and brown.
  • Now add the sugar and soy sauce and sauté until sugar has caramelized.
  • Deglaze the pot with Shaoxing wine.

Braise
3

  • Add anise, cinnamon, citrus peel, ginger and vinegar.
  • Top up with the water just enough to cover the pork.

4

Stovetop method
Simmer for 1 hour until the pork is tender.

Slow cooking method
Slow cook on LOW for at least 11 hours or HIGH for 5 hours.

Pressure cooking method
Pressure cook on 80kpa for at least 20 minutes with Natural release.

Reduce
5

  • Remove pork from the pot, strain the liquid to remove all solids.
  • Reduce the strained sauce and then return pork back to the sauce.
  • Serve on top of the rice, garnish with green onions.

6