Dong Po Rou (東坡肉) is a beloved Chinese dish with a rich history and even richer flavors. Originating from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, it is named after the famous Song Dynasty poet and statesman Su Dongpo, who is credited with popularizing 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.
ingredients:
- 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:
- 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.
Chinese Braised Pork Belly (Dong Po Rou)
2
servings15
minutes45
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
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.
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