Chinese Braised Pork Belly (Dong Po Rou)

Chinese braised pork belly, also known as dong po rou (東坡肉) is a beloved Chinese dish with a rich history and even richer flavours. This dish originated from Hangzhou, China, and is named after the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo, who is credited with popularising this cooking technique.

The dish features melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, slowly braised in a savoury blend of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and aromatics like star anise and cinnamon. The result is a luxurious, tender pork dish with layers of flavour—sweet, savoury, and aromatic—that pairs perfectly with steamed rice and simple vegetables.

dong po rou vs. hong shao rou: what’s the difference?

You may have heard of a more popular version of Chinese braised pork belly, known as Hong Shao Rou. While both dishes feature tender, slow-braised pork belly, Dong Po Rou is different in terms of its cooking technique and flavour profile.

Dong Po Rou is a slow-cooked version that uses a larger chunk of pork belly braised with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar and spices. This results in a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a rich, savoury and sweet flavour. On the other hand, Hong Shao Rou, while also braised, tends to use a smaller cut chunks of pork belly and involves a quicker, more direct braising method.

ingredients to making chinese braised pork belly (dong po rou):

• 600g pork belly (with skin)
• 10 green onions
• 10 ginger slices
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 50g rock sugar
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• Water enough to cover the pork
• Chopped green onions (garnish)

steps to making chinese braised pork belly (dong po rou):

1. Blanch the pork by bringing a pot of water to a boil with green onions, ginger slices, and Shaoxing wine. Add the pork belly and blanch for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Once done, rinse the pork under cold water and pat it dry.
2. Cut the pork belly into large cubes, about 4–5 cm each. Optionally, tie each cube with kitchen string to help retain its shape during cooking.
3. In the pressure cooker, create a base layer by placing green onions and ginger slices at the bottom. Arrange the pork belly cubes on top, with the skin side facing down.
4. Add the rock sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, bay leaves, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Pour in enough water to just cover the pork.
5. Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 30–40 minutes, or up to an hour if you prefer the pork extremely tender. Let the pressure release naturally for best results.
6. Once the pressure cooking is complete, switch to sauté mode (or transfer the liquid to a separate pot) and simmer the sauce for about 15–20 minutes. Allow the liquid to reduce until it becomes thick, dark, and glossy, occasionally spooning the sauce over the pork.
7. Serve the Dong Po Rou by carefully plating the pork cubes with steamed rice and boiled vegetables. Drizzle the thickened sauce over the pork and garnish with chopped green onions before serving.

Chinese Braised Pork Belly (Dong Po Rou)

Course: main dish

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• 600 g pork belly (with skin)

• 10 green onions

• 10 ginger slices

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 star anise

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 50 g rock sugar

• 1/2 cup light soy sauce

• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine

• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

• Water enough to cover the pork

• Chopped green onions (garnish)

Directions

• Blanch the pork by bringing a pot of water to a boil with green onions, ginger slices, and Shaoxing wine. Add the pork belly and blanch for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Once done, rinse the pork under cold water and pat it dry.
• Cut the pork belly into large cubes, about 4–5 cm each. Optionally, tie each cube with kitchen string to help retain its shape during cooking.
• In the pressure cooker, create a base layer by placing green onions and ginger slices at the bottom. Arrange the pork belly cubes on top, with the skin side facing down.
• Add the rock sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, bay leaves, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Pour in enough water to just cover the pork.
• Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 30–40 minutes, or up to an hour if you prefer the pork extremely tender. Let the pressure release naturally for best results.
• Once the pressure cooking is complete, switch to sauté mode (or transfer the liquid to a separate pot) and simmer the sauce for about 15–20 minutes. Allow the liquid to reduce until it becomes thick, dark, and glossy, occasionally spooning the sauce over the pork.
• Serve the Dong Po Rou by carefully plating the pork cubes with steamed rice and boiled vegetables. Drizzle the thickened sauce over the pork and garnish with chopped green onions before serving.