Today, I’m sharing a recipe for Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly.
While the recipe for Shanghai Braised Pork Belly is admired by many, I think it’s time to expand upon it. Many of you have inquired about adding aromatics like scallions, ginger, garlic, and spices like star anise. I resisted a bit, because I really like the traditional flavors of Shanghai-style pork belly. It’s like vanilla ice cream––understated, but it really hits the spot.
Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly is kind of like the rocky road to Shanghai-style Pork Belly’s vanilla. I personally like everything original: vanilla ice cream, old-fashioned donuts––they’re familiar and comforting. But sometimes, a little rocky road is needed.
Variations on Braised Pork Belly in China
Overall though, Chinese people love their braised pork belly. It’s a very popular dish, but depending on where you’re traveling in China, the taste can vary drastically from city to city, and from one kitchen to another.
In Shanghai, the taste of the dish is pure, dark soy sauce. In Wuxi, an hour and a half drive away, the braised pork belly tastes closer to candy in sweetness. And if you hop on a plane to Hunan, you’ll find Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly. The dish is more heavily flavored with spices, as every meal there requires the addition of chili peppers.
Even in Hunan, there are many variations of Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly. Soy sauce vs. no soy sauce; more aromatics vs. less aromatics; some recipes even ask for hoisin sauce.
But there are two common themes:
- Caramelize the sugar like you would in Shanghai Braised Pork Belly to add color, richness, and sheen.
- Add dried hot chili peppers, which are critical to Hunan cuisine.
But feel free to experiment. You really can’t go wrong with braised pork belly!
A Couple Quick Recipe Tips
A couple of tips before you start:
- For the dry hot chilis, the longer you cook them, the hotter they get. You can omit or remove them halfway through cooking if the dish gets too spicy.
- New discovery in my pork braising experience—adding ½ teaspoon sugar at the end rounds out the stronger flavors of the soy sauce and the spiciness from the dried chilies. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
Mao’s Braised Pork Belly Recipe Instructions
The first step is to blanch the pork belly, which removes any blood or impurities from the meat. To do this, add the pork belly and 3 slices of ginger to a pot with enough cold water to submerge the pork belly. With the lid on, bring it to a boil. Once the pot boils, turn down the heat and simmer for one more minute. Drain, rinse the pork belly clean, and set aside.
With the wok set over low heat, add the oil and rock sugar (or 3 tablespoons regular sugar).
Slowly melt the sugar, taking care to not let it burn.
Then add in the pork belly, 3 slices ginger, and the white parts of the scallions. Turn up the heat to medium.
Stir and coat the pork belly with the melted sugar.
Now, add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, dried chili peppers, and water.
Stir and make sure everything is submerged. There will be some caramelized sugar on your spatula, dissolve it in the water before covering the wok.
Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour. Check the pork periodically to make sure the sauce doesn’t dry up.
Once the pork is to your liking in terms of tenderness, turn up the heat to cook off any excess sauce, stirring constantly. The sauce will reduce to a glistening coating on the pork belly.
Last, add in the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar and the green parts of the scallions. Stir quickly and serve!
Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork belly (900g, cut into ¾-inch pieces)
- 6 slices ginger (divided)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar (or 40 grams rock sugar, plus ½ teaspoon)
- 3 scallions (diced with the white and green parts separated)
- ½ cup Shaoxing wine
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce (生抽)
- 1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce (老抽)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 4 bay leaves
- 1-2 dried chili peppers (optional)
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- The first step is to blanch the pork belly, which removes any blood or impurities from the meat. To do this, add the pork belly and 3 slices of ginger to a pot with enough cold water to submerge the pork belly. With the lid on, bring it to a boil. Once the pot boils, turn down the heat and simmer for one more minute. Drain, rinse the pork belly clean, and set aside.
- With the wok set over low heat, add the oil and rock sugar (or 3 tablespoons regular sugar). Slowly melt the sugar, taking care to not let it burn. Then add in the pork belly, 3 slices ginger, and the white parts of the scallions. Turn up the heat to medium. Stir and coat the pork belly with the melted sugar.
- Now, add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, dried chili peppers, and water. Stir and make sure everything is submerged. There will be some caramelized sugar on your spatula, dissolve it in the water before covering the wok. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour. Check the pork periodically to make sure the sauce doesn’t dry up.
- Once the pork is to your liking in terms of tenderness, turn up the heat to cook off any excess sauce, stirring constantly. The sauce will reduce to a glistening coating on the pork belly. Last, add in the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar and the green parts of the scallions. Stir quickly and serve!
This, and Shanghai pork belly look good. I want to make this as part of our Christmas lunch. About 40 of us. Everyone brings something. But, it is not at my home, sister’s in law’s. Can I make this and take it cold/room temp? Far too hot at Christmas to cook. (Brisbane, Australia)
Also, can I make this into thinner strips?
Yes, you can. Just reheat it before serving.
This dish was absolutely delicious! Growing up in a Chinese household, I never liked pork belly at all, perhaps it was the way my parents made it. When I came across this recipe, I gave pork belly another try and found it delicious! Made twice now and my husband loves it. Next time when I visit family, I will make it for them. Also, will need to try the Shanghai style one too. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you so much for your high praise, Helen, love that you will share this dish with your family :-)
Do you prefer Mao’s or Shanghai style? – looking for which one to try first.
Hi Teddy, Shanghai style is more pure, Mao’s version definitely has a lot more flavor and is a bit spicy.
I’ll try both, but will do Mao’s first! Any way to adapt a recipe like this to other types of meat chunks, like beef/chicken breast or thigh, or maybe ground pork? Would love this flavor in a dish like Rou Zao Fan. Adoptions are let’s good to know of!
Hi Teddy, after you make both versions, time to experiment on your own ;-) I know you will have a lot of fun doing that.
Great recipe. A bit too much water, but it all boiled down in the end, and the result was absolutely delicious! Thank you Judy!
Lovely, Jeana. Thank you for trying this recipe :-)
Hi Judy, I’ve been following your recipes and cooked 卤肉饭 once using your recipe. It tasted good! When I read this recipe, the title grabbed me instantly but I was intrigued to see if the recipe included the soy sauce in it, and it does. When I read an article years ago, it partially mentioned that Chairman Mao loved to eat 红烧肉 but never allowed the chef to put any soy sauce in it since he saw how the soy sauce was made near his hometown when he was still young. Just thought to share this with you and perhaps you may like to alter the recipe for us to try one day 😊 Cheers!
Hahaha…ok :-)
Hi Judy- I attempted to make this recipe 04/10/22, Sunday; but I used the recipe from Chinese Cooking Demystified, as both recipes are very similar. I am a pretty-good, meticulous cook, being a perfectionist by nature. My Problem: The frying of the pork, in the sugar; I used the yellow rock sugar, which I pulverized in my mortar and pestle. I did double the Chinese Cooking Demystified recipe, so I used two (2) pounds pork belly. HOW MUCH OF THE OIL/WATER BROTH, DO I ADD, TO THE SUGAR, TO COAT THE PORK, AND CARAMELIZE THE SUGAR. i SED 50 GRAMS OF CRUSHED ROCK SUGAR, FOR CARAMELIZING, THEN, I ADDED ANOTHER 50 GRAMS, TO THE BRAISE. With the recipe NOT doubled, it called for 40 grams sugar far caramelizing, then 40 grams sugar added to the braise. And as you stated, the recipe suggested a small amount of white sugar, added to the braise, at the end of cooking; 40 grams doubled is 80 grams, then approximately 10 grams doubled, at end of braise. One problem you have solved for me already, is now I know to coat the pork with the sugar/oil-water mixture, THEN CARAMELIZE. I attempted to caramelize/brown the sugar, THEN ADD THE PORK. That did not work, as the sugar mixture solidified, before browning, so my pork WAS NOT CARAMELIZED/BROWNED. Any advice you can offer, I WOULD appreciate. Thanks.
Hi Mike, it’s hard for me to comment on someone else’s recipe, but I know that the sugar/oil mixture solidifies once it comes in contact with water. You might want to pat the blanched pork pieces dry with paper towel before adding them to the wok. Try that and let me know how it goes :-)
This is my go to recipe once I get my hands on pork belly!! I had some left over from the last time and had it in the freezer which I took out and stir fried with rice that I cooked in some soy sauce for more flavor! I had only a little pork belly left but all that flavor shone through! This is just magnificent!! To Judy all the praises!!
Hi Beatrix, thank you so much for all your praise :-)
Hi,
You really do need to adjust the amount of water for this dish – it’s way, way too much! Maybe halve it to 2 cups.