Shanghai Hóngshāo Ròu (红烧肉, red-braised pork); Chen Chen’s family recipe

By On October 19, 2011 · 6 Comments · In Recipes 食谱, Shanghai 上海

Chen Chen's family recipe for hongshao rou — Shanghai style

There has never been a more simple hóngshāo ròu (红烧肉, red-braised pork belly) known to me until the day I visited Chen Chen’s family in Shanghai. Deliciousness is the result after braising pork belly in soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and star anise. This recipe is for a hóngshāo ròu of a sweeter flavor. For my friend’s blog, Rasa Malaysia, I guest blogged my own recipe of hóngshāo ròu that excites taste buds with chilies and Sichuan peppercorn. Chen Chen’s family is from Shanghai where the flavor favors sweetness, shying away from garlic and strong-flavored spices. If your taste buds align with those in Shanghai, this pork belly recipe will send you to heaven.

Equipment: clay pot or dutch oven

Ingredients

Parboil

  • 1,500 grams pork belly (五花肉, wǔhuāròu)
  • 6 1-inch pieces ginger (姜, jiāng)
  • 1 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (料酒, liàojiǔ)

Braise

  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (料酒, liàojiǔ)
  • 4 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce (老抽, lǎo chōu)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (生抽, shēng chōu)
  • 3 teaspoons white sugar (白糖, báitáng）
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (盐, yán)
  • 500 ml water

Method

  1. Parboil — Bring a pot of water to boil. Immerse entire slab of pork belly with ginger and 1 tablespoon cooking wine. Adding cooking wine dispels any gamey flavor, according to Chen Chen’s mother. Remove any scum that surfaces. After five minutes, discard water and rinse meat with cold water. Slice pork belly into 1-inch cubes.
  2. Braise — Heat cooking oil in a wok. Stir fry the pork pieces. Add Shaoxing wine and dark soy sauce, continuing to stir fry. Add soy sauce, sugar, salt and water, then bring to a boil. Upon boiling, lower the flame and simmer for two to three hours.
Serve with rice or on top of a noodle soup.
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6 Responses to Shanghai Hóngshāo Ròu (红烧肉, red-braised pork); Chen Chen’s family recipe

  1. Pat Tanumihardja says:
    October 19, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    Hi Shanti,
    You’ve got a great project going here. Love the idea, especially since it’s similar to my cookbook “The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook.” Can’t wait to see the published piece. Good luck and happy to connect with you!

  2. Shanti Christensen (湘緹) says:
    October 20, 2011 at 3:57 am

    Hi Pat,

    Thanks for connecting with me! WOW! I love what I’ve just learned about your book! How long did it take for you to create your book from beginning to end? You have my utmost respect! This is not easy. It is fascinating, but so many details to pay attention to and now I’m testing recipes. As you know, Chinese don’t measure with spoons or cups… rather they cook with their heart. I love hearing that from the families as I eyeball how much of an ingredient goes into a dish. Pat, let’s stay in touch. So happy to connect with you!

    Best,
    Shanti

  3. noch says:
    October 20, 2011 at 7:37 am

    thats one of my favorite dish – with some beancurd stick i love!

  4. Shanti Christensen (湘緹) says:
    October 25, 2011 at 4:04 am

    Now there is an addition I have yet to try. Good one, Enoch! Thanks! Yum!

  5. Chinese New Year 2012 Menu | ShowShanti says:
    January 16, 2012 at 9:02 am

    [...] Red-braised Pork Belly (红烧肉) [...]

  6. Michigan Seems Like a Dream to Me Now…. « Honest Errors says:
    August 18, 2012 at 7:50 am

    [...] My favorite of the dishes was called “Grandma’s Red-Braised Pork,” which I had eaten variations of during our time in China. It’s called “Hong Shao Rou” in Mandarin. Crystal told us that Hong Shao Rou was a very Shanghainese dish. Xin Jishi’s version was by far the best version of the dish I had eaten during my time in China. The fat was so soft it simply melted into your mouth. I found a recipe for this delicious braised pork belly here. [...]