Dongpo Pork, Hangzhou Style (Classic Red-Braised Pork Belly)
Why this recipe works
- Classic red-braising: Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and rock sugar create the deep colour, rounded sweetness and glossy finish associated with red-braised pork.
- Aromatic base: Spring onion, ginger and star anise perfume the braising liquid without overpowering the richness of the pork belly.
- Rich, tender texture: Slow, gentle cooking softens the meat and turns the fat silky, giving the dish its signature luxurious texture.
Get the most out of this recipe
Authenticity notes
- Hangzhou style: Dongpo pork is closely associated with Hangzhou and is known for large pieces of pork belly braised until tender rather than shredded or crisped.
- Red-braised finish: The dark, glossy sauce comes from slow braising followed by reducing the cooking liquid until it lightly coats the pork.
- Shaoxing wine matters: Shaoxing wine gives the braise its distinctive aroma; dry sherry is a practical substitute, but the flavour will be less traditional.
Ingredient notes
- Choose skin-on pork belly: Skin-on pork belly gives the best balance of tender meat, soft fat and gelatinous texture after long braising.
- Rock sugar for gloss: Rock sugar helps create a rounded sweetness and lacquered sauce; granulated sugar works, but the finish may taste a little sharper.
- Use star anise sparingly: Star anise should support the soy and wine rather than dominate, so keep the flavour gently aromatic.
Common mistakes
- Boiling too hard: Keep the braise at a very gentle simmer; a vigorous boil can break up the pork and make the sauce greasy.
- Reducing the sauce too far: Stop reducing when the sauce lightly coats a spoon. If it becomes too thick, loosen it with a small splash of water.
- Slicing too roughly: Lift and slice the pork carefully once tender, as the pieces can be delicate after the long braise.
Make-ahead tips
- Cook in advance: The pork can be cooked ahead and stored with some sauce, which helps keep it moist while chilled.
- Reheat gently: Warm in a covered pan with a little water until piping hot throughout, then reduce the sauce again if needed.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze the cooked pork with sauce, then defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut the pork belly into 6 to 8 large cubes. Slice the ginger, and trim the spring onions into lengths that will sit neatly in the pot.
- Put the pork into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil for 3 to 5 minutes to remove impurities, then lift out with tongs and rinse briefly under hot water.
- Line the base of a dutch oven with the spring onions, then scatter over the ginger and star anise. Sit the pork belly on top, skin-side down where possible, so it braises gently in the aromatics.
- Add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar and fine sea salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring once or twice to help the sugar dissolve.
- Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer very gently for 2 hours, turning the pork once halfway through. The pork is ready when a skewer slides in easily and the fat looks translucent and silky.
- Carefully lift the pork out to a board. Strain the braising liquid into a pot, discarding the aromatics, then simmer briskly until reduced to a glossy sauce that lightly coats a spoon.
- Slice the pork belly thickly and arrange on a serving plate. Spoon over the reduced sauce and serve while hot.
Recipe notes
Tips
- Keep the braise at the gentlest simmer you can manage; a hard boil can break up the pork and make the sauce greasy.
- If you are serving children, reduce the light soy sauce slightly and rely on the reduced glaze for flavour.
- Pork should be reheated until piping hot all the way through before serving.
Substitutions
- Replace Shaoxing Cooking Wine with dry sherry for a similar aroma.
- Replace Rock sugar with granulated sugar; it will still give a glossy glaze, but the flavour will be slightly less rounded.
- Replace Spring onion with a smaller amount of Yellow onion for the pot lining, keeping the ginger and star anise the same.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Cool completely, then store the pork with some sauce in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water until piping hot; reduce the sauce again if needed. Freeze for up to 2 months and defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 3h (30min active)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cuisine: Chinese
-
Allergens:
Soybeans
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