Chinese Braised Pork Belly with Five Spices
Chinese Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou) is a sweet and savoury stew seasoned with five spice, with tender chunks of pork belly in a glossy caramelized sauce
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 838kcal
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 ounces pork belly sliced into 1-inch cubes
- 2 green onions sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 1 inch sliced ginger
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2-inch piece of rock sugar or 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic *optional
- 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine *can substitute with rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 ½ tablespoon light soy sauce see Note 1
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon five spice powder see Note 2
- 2 cups water
- 8 quail eggs *optional
- 1 cup tofu knots, aka baiyejie *optional
- 1 cup frozen tofu *optional
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a small stockpot. Add 12 to 16 ounces pork belly, 2 green onions, and 1 inch sliced ginger. Blanch the pork belly for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Add 8 quail eggs to the same boiling water and boil them for 3 minutes. Drain the quail eggs. Once they’re cool enough to touch, peel them.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok on medium heat. Add the 2-inch piece of rock sugar and swirl it around. As it melts and caramelizes, break it up with the spatula until it starts to melt into the oil.
- Add the pork belly pieces to the oil-sugar mixture and fry until lightly caramelized. (Prepare for a fair bit of sizzling and splashing, so a splatter screen is helpful here.)
- Throw in 3 cloves garlic, then pour in 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine and swirl it around with your spatula as it bubbles and simmers.
- Pour in 1 ½ tablespoon light soy sauce, ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon five spice powder, and 2 cups water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes. Halfway through cooking, add the 1 cup tofu knots, aka baiyejie, 1 cup frozen tofu, and quail eggs.
- Check on the pork belly and stir every five minutes, adding more water if it begins to look dry. It's done when the pork belly is super tender and the sauce is thickened and clinging to the chunks.
Notes
- Five spice powder: Chinese five spice is a blend of star anise, fennel seeds, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and cloves. You can add more if you prefer a stronger taste.
- Quail eggs, tofu knots, and frozen tofu are less common, but still popular, additions to this dish. They’re a good way to add different textures and to lighten up the pork belly a bit. (Because let’s face it—just a few bites of pork belly and you’ll be full!)
Nutrition
Calories: 838kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 284mg | Sodium: 754mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 4mg