Chinese · Rice Bowls

Red-Braised Pork Belly Rice Bowl

红烧肉盖饭

Serves 2 to 3 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes · Total: about 1 hour 30 minutes

Growing up, my parents did not really know how to make red-braised pork at home, but it was one of the dishes we ordered at restaurants when it showed up on the menu. I remember it as the kind of dish that arrived dark and glossy, with pieces of pork belly that looked almost too rich until you ate them with rice.

After I graduated from college and got my first paycheck, I started teaching myself how to make the restaurant dishes I missed. This was during COVID, when DoorDash prices started getting ridiculous and ordering Chinese food felt less like a treat and more like getting scammed by delivery fees. Red-braised pork was one of the first things I learned. It seemed intimidating at first because it looked like something only a restaurant kitchen knew how to do, but it is mostly patience: pork belly, soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, ginger, scallion, and enough time for the sauce to reduce until it clings to the meat.

For a rice bowl, I like the pork a little more reduced than a traditional family-style plate of 红烧肉. The pieces should be tender, dark, and sticky, with just enough sauce to stain the rice underneath. Add something green on the side so the bowl does not feel like pure pork fat and rice, even though that is honestly most of the appeal.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the pork

   Cut the pork belly into 1 to 1½-inch pieces. Try to keep them fairly even so they cook at the same pace.

2. 2

   Blanch the pork

   Place the pork in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, rinse off any scum, and pat the pork dry.

3. 3

   Make the caramel

   Heat a wok, Dutch oven, or heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and sugar. Let the sugar melt slowly until it turns amber. Do not take it too dark; the soy sauce will deepen the color later.

4. 4

   Coat the pork

   Add the pork belly and stir to coat it in the caramelized sugar. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, letting the pieces pick up a little color.

5. 5

   Add the aromatics

   Add the ginger, scallions, garlic if using, star anise, and cinnamon. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

6. 6

   Add the liquids

   Add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper, and hot water. The liquid should come about halfway up the pork. It does not need to fully cover it.

7. 7

   Braise

   Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pork belly is tender. If the pan starts drying out before the pork is soft, add a small splash of hot water.

8. 8

   Reduce and glaze

   Uncover and raise the heat to medium-high. Reduce the braising liquid until it turns glossy and sticky. Stir more often near the end so the sugar and soy do not burn. Stop when the pork is lacquered and the sauce clings to the meat instead of sitting watery in the pan.

9. 9

   Assemble the bowl

   Spoon rice into bowls. Add the pork belly and a little of the reduced sauce. Serve with greens on the side and scallions if you want them.

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