Whenever anyone mentions Chinese food, the ubiquitous stirfry is always brought up. It’s odd but I hardly ever stirfry anything at home. Many of my favourite dishes, Chinese or otherwise, are braises. There’s something quite comforting about bunging things into a pot and letting a gentle heat do all the hard work for you.
I seem to be coming across red-cooked dishes from the Hunan province of China recently, most likely since Fuchsia Dunlop has recently come out with a cookbook of recipes from that province. Saveur magazine also featured a series of red-cooked dishes in an article a few months ago and this finally prompted me to try my hand at a red-cooked pork belly dish.
The recipe below originally called for dark mushroom flavoured soy sauce and this can replace both the light and dark soy sauces (I use Kikkoman and Cheong Chan, respectively) called for below. I think one piece or half a piece of star anise wouldn’t go amiss either. The results are magnificent – the pork belly fat melting into the sauce and creating a rich liquor to pour over rice. I overate that night…too much rice mixed into all that sauce! And it’s imperative that you eat this with plenty of white rice – plain steamed/boiled white rice!
Red-Cooked Belly Pork
adapted from Saveur magazine, March 2007
Serves 2.
454g (1 lb) pork belly, skin and bones removed
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 inch chunk of ginger, sliced into coins
5 scallions, cut into 3 inch pieces
1/8 cup (30 mL) Shaoxing rice wine
2.5 tbsps light soy sauce
2 tbsps thick dark soy sauce
0.5 tsp salt
1.5 tbsps sugar
Cut the pork belly into chunks about 1.5 inches wide. Blanch the pork in boiling water for about 2 minutes and then rinse with cold water. You’ll see lots of scum come from the pork – you don’t want any of it sullying your pretty dish!
Heat the oil in a pot or wok over high heat and fry the ginger and scallions for a few seconds. Add the pork belly and continue frying for 1 minute. Add the Shaoxing wine and fry for 2 minutes. Add both the soy sauces and continue for another 2 minutes.
Add the salt and 1 cup of water and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The pork will be quite tender at this point. Add the sugar and simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Serve with plenty of white rice and perhaps a vegetable dish too.
Wed, 6 Jun, 2007 at 02:04
Do you have a recommendation for a substitute for pork belly? I’m not so concerned with the fatiness (yum) but that my – darned – local Safeway doesn’t carry pork belly. Specifically, is there another cut of meat, easier to acquire, that would be braised well?
Thanks.
Wed, 6 Jun, 2007 at 21:35
Hi Gwen!
I think a fatty bit of pork shoulder/butt would work well here. Loin is much too lean, I reckon. I hope the recipe works well for you!
Fri, 8 Jun, 2007 at 13:47
This really works well when paired with Asian-style pickled mustard greens. The pungent peppery sour bite of the greens will cut the richness of the fatty pork!
Fri, 8 Jun, 2007 at 22:26
Hi Twinkle!
That does sound like it would be good! I’ve got to do some experimenting with Chinese pickles…there’re so many different kinds and I don’t know what to do with them all.
Wed, 18 Jul, 2007 at 01:31
Trying this for dinner tonight. Iy looks delicious…
Wed, 18 Jul, 2007 at 17:36
Hi Linda!
Do let us know how it was!
Thu, 27 Sep, 2007 at 22:09
[…] September 27, 2007 I love dishes cooked long and slow. I think I’ve already mentioned this before. Now that the weather’s turned chilly again (wasn’t summer a bit short this year?), my […]
Wed, 27 May, 2009 at 08:04
[…] Red-Cooked Belly Pork – Here’s a classic Hunan pork belly preparation and it’s the first recipe I ever posted on the blog! […]
Thu, 28 May, 2009 at 11:53
yummm.. this looks like a good dish for me!
Tue, 9 Jun, 2009 at 14:30
mycookinghut: Hope the recipe works for you!
Wed, 23 Sep, 2009 at 10:06
After removing the skin and bones, I suggest making a stock out of them and using it in the recipe instead of adding water. This will enhance the flavor when simmering. I have been making red cooked dished for 25+ years. I always add at least 2-3 (or all) of the following: star anise, cinnamon, white pepper, chile, clove, garlic, coriander seed based upon what meat I am cooking and what’s available. I will add vinegar too. If scallions are not available, use regular onions. Garlic chives add a great flavor. I prefer to use more soy sauce than what is called for here. BTW, save the sauce! In China, this was called the Master Sauce. With all its saltiness, this will keep indefinitely in the fridge. If a layer of fuzzy mold develops on the surface, just scrape it off (like one might do with cheese). This development of mold won’t likely happen if the Master Sauce is stored in a jar right up to the lid. If in doubt, freeze it. Enjoy!
Mon, 5 Oct, 2009 at 13:33
chieko: Thanks for all these tips! The stock idea sounds great – I might try that next time. Ditto all your spice ingredients. Actually, I haven’t made this in a while and now I’m keen to make it again!
Fri, 12 Mar, 2010 at 10:38
[…] snap peas rounded out the meal nicely. If you’re unable to get pig cheeks, substitute with pork belly. Likewise, rice would also be good instead of […]