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Authentic and homemade Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly, cooked in a flavorful red sauce infused with sake and an array of Chinese spices. This recipe is easy and the delicious taste is always guaranteed.
Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly Recipe
Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly, also known as “Hong Shao Rou” (红烧肉), is a delightful dish featuring tender pork belly enveloped in a caramelized, rich, and flavorful red sauce made from soy sauce, sake, and an array of Chinese spices.
The succulent braised pork belly is coated in a savory sake-infused sauce, offering a burst of flavor in every delectable bite. Its “melt-in-your-mouth” texture makes it an irresistible dish that is enjoyed by everyone in the family.
“Hong Shao Rou” is one of the most popular dishes in China, and each family has their own unique way of cooking. The secret of this homemade Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly recipe is the sake. This traditional Japanese rice wine brings a unique umami-rich taste and balances out the savory sauce with a natural sweetness. It also helps to tenderize the meat and adds a delicate aroma to the final dish.
Looking for more variations of how to cook pork belly? Don’t miss out on these two delicious recipes, Red-cooked Pork Belly and Braised Pork Belly in Soy Sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
This easy Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly recipe ensures the best taste with effortless preparation. It requires only a minimum of ingredients that are easy to access from local grocery stores.
The rich yet harmoniously balanced flavor of this dish pairs perfectly with hot steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables, creating a wholesome meal that no one can resist.
This recipe is also versatile and can be adapted to meet your personal taste. The use of sake adds an umami flavor to the dish, but it can be substituted with beer for variation. To enhance the flavor with a touch of spiciness, you may also add some crushed dried chili pepper while braising the pork.
Ingredients
This easy homemade Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly recipe only calls for a few simple ingredients:
- Pork belly- This cut offers the perfect combination of tender meat and chewy, rich layers of fat. When cooked, the meat becomes tender and juicy, absorbing all the flavor from the sauce and melt-in-your-mouth in every bit.
- Ginger, scallion and garlic- They’re excellent for eliminating any strong meat odors during cooking.
- Rock sugar- It adds a sweet and savory taste to the dish which also helps balance out the flavors and enhances the overall taste profile.
- Star anise and bay leaves- both ingredients add a unique flavor to the dish. These two dry herbs also contain natural enzymes that can help to tenderize the meat during cooking.
- Light soy sauce- Choose low-sodium soy sauce for the best taste.
- Dark soy sauce- It adds a rich color to the dish and also enhances the flavor.
- Sake- You may use sake or Chinese Shaoxing wine as a substitute.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly
First, add pork belly cubes to a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil, and blanch the meat for a few minutes to remove the impurities. Remove the pork from the saucepan, and rinse with water. Drain the pork and set aside.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add pork belly to the pot and cook until lightly browned on each side. The cooked pork belly should release enough oil at this point.
Stir in ginger, scallion, and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Then, add rock sugar, star anise, bay leaves, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sake. Stir well to coat the meat evenly with the sauce. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of hot water or enough to just cover the meat. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and braise the pork for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally while cooking to prevent the pork from sticking to the bottom.
Once the pork is cooked to fork tender and the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. Dish out. Serve immediately with freshly sliced scallion garnished on top.
Cooking Tips
For authentic Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly, please follow my tips below:
- Choose the leaner pork belly for this recipe if you prefer less oil in the final dish.
- Blanching the pork before cooking helps to remove the impurities.
- Searing the pork belly in the pot without extra oil reduces greasiness and adds a crisp exterior.
- You may reduce the sweetness by cutting the rock sugar to half. Rock sugar can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Sake can be substituted with beer in this recipe. Braise pork belly with beer will not only bring a depth of flavor to the dish but also help to tenderize the meat while cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
The significant difference between these two iconic Chinese pork dishes lies in their appearance and seasoning. Dong Po Rou is commonly cut into large cubes and simmered in a sauce featuring soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and rock sugar. In contrast, Sake and Soy Braised pork belly is typically prepared in smaller pieces and incorporates a variety of Chinese spices like star anise and bay leaves to elevate its flavor.
The mouthwatering sake and soy braised pork belly pairs great with white rice, noodles, and stir-fried vegetables, such as Garlic Bok Choy, Fried Rice, and Chow Mein.
This recipe has 825 per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
For an easy and wholesome weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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Sake and Soy Braised Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) skin-on pork belly, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 slices ginger, 1/4-inch thick slice, cut into thin strips
- 2 stalks scallion, cut diagonally, about 2-inches long
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 5 pieces (25g) rock sugar
- 2 pieces star anise
- 3 pieces bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Add pork belly chunks to a saucepan and fill with water until the meat is just covered. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Remove the pork from the saucepan, rinse with water, and drain the pork. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot (or skillet) over medium-high heat. Transfer the pork belly to the pot and sear the meat for 1 minute on each side. Use tongs to flip the meat until each side is cooked into a light golden brown and the oil is released.
- Stir in ginger, scallion, and garlic, and cook until fragrant for about 2 minutes. Add rock sugar, star anise, bay leaves, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sake. Stir well to coat the meat evenly with the sauce. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of hot water or enough to just cover the meat, and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover and braise the pork for 45 minutes until fork tender and the sauce reduces to a glossy coating without excess liquid. Stir every 10 minutes to prevent burning.
- Serve immediately with finely sliced scallion garnished on top.
Video
Notes
- Choose the leaner pork belly for this recipe if you prefer less oil in the final dish.
- Blanching the pork before cooking helps to remove the impurities.
- Searing the pork belly in the pot without extra oil reduces greasiness and adds a crisp exterior.
- You may reduce the sweetness by cutting the rock sugar to half. Rock sugar can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Sake can be substituted with beer in this recipe. Braise pork belly with beer will not only bring a depth of flavor to the dish but also help to tenderize the meat while cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This turned out great! I used Shao Xing wine and substituted 5 spice powder for the star anise. There’s a bit of prep work (what Chinese recipe doesn’t require prep work?) but the cooking was easy and it smelled great. I served it with braised baby bok choy and rice. Will make again!
Thank you for your comment, Tina. So glad you enjoyed this recipe.