Hong Shao Rou — Red Braised Pork
Glossy, amber pork belly braised until it trembles.
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Dongpo Pork
Pork belly braised for three hours in Shaoxing wine alone — no added water — until it trembles, glazed in its own amber juices. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 东坡肉, report 121.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 东坡肉_121.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 3 hoursTotal: 3 hours 20 minutesServings: 2–3 (adaptation: the source portion is 400 g pork belly)Difficulty: MediumRegion: Zhejiang (Hangzhou)Flavour: Sweet-savoury, wine-fragrant
Why this works
Dongpo pork works because time and wine do what water and speed cannot. The pork is blanched, seared skin-side down for a little colour, then packed skin-side down in a clay pot over scallions and ginger and covered two-thirds deep in Shaoxing wine — the only liquid in the pot. Over three hours at the barest simmer, the wine's alcohol cooks away and its fermented sweetness stays, the fat renders into the sauce, and the collagen turns to a trembling jelly. Flipping the pork halfway and basting it as the sauce reduces keeps the flavour even. The finish matters as much as the braise: reduce until the liquid is a third of its volume, amber and syrupy enough to cling, then rest the pot covered for five minutes so the fat and sauce settle instead of separating on the plate. Patience is the only skill this dish demands; everything else is measuring, waiting and resisting the urge to hurry the pot.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork belly with skin, in 3 layers fat to 2 lean, cut into 4 cm cubes | 14 oz | 400 g | Ask for a slab with skin on; even fat-to-lean layers braise best. |
| Shaoxing wine | ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp | 100 ml | Use a drinkable Shaoxing wine, not cooking wine with added salt, if you can (adaptation). |
| Rock sugar or crushed yellow rock sugar | 1 oz | 30 g | Granulated sugar works but gives a less rounded glaze (adaptation). |
| Light soy sauce | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | 20 ml | The source names a specific brand; any light soy sauce works. |
| Scallions, cut into lengths | 1 oz | 30 g | For lining the pot, plus extra to garnish. |
| Ginger, sliced | 0.7 oz | 20 g | — |
| Cooking wine, for blanching | 1 tbsp | 15 ml | Quantity for blanching is a home adaptation; the source says ginger and wine but does not quantify the blanching wine. |
| Salt | To taste | To taste | The source gives no salt quantity; season lightly at the end (adaptation). |
Equipment
- Clay pot, heavy casserole or Dutch oven with a tight lid — a clay pot is traditional but not required (adaptation)
- Large pot for blanching
- Kitchen paper
Steps
- Blanch the pork. Put the pork cubes in cold water with ginger slices and cooking wine. Bring to a boil, skim the scum thoroughly, and simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat. Lift out, rinse immediately in cold water, and pat dry. Sear skin-side down in a dry pan until lightly golden.
- Assemble the pot. Line the clay pot or casserole with scallion lengths and ginger slices. Pack the pork skin-side down in a tight single layer. Pour in the Shaoxing wine to two-thirds up the pork. Add the rock sugar and soy sauce. Add no water — wine is the only liquid.
- Braise low and slow. Bring to a boil over high heat (about 5 minutes), then turn to the lowest heat that holds a bare simmer. Cover and braise for 1 hour, then flip the pork skin-side up and braise for 1 more hour.
- Reduce and baste. At about 2½ hours, open the lid and season lightly with salt to taste, then reduce the sauce, spooning it repeatedly over the pork, until it is thick, amber and syrupy — about a third of its original volume. Do not reduce it dry or the caramel turns bitter.
- Rest and serve. Take the pot off the heat, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the pork skin-side up to a serving dish, spoon over the reduced sauce and scatter scallions.
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Technique: wine as the only liquid
Using no water is the point: as the wine reduces, its sugars and fermented flavour concentrate into the glaze instead of being diluted. That is also why the heat must stay at a bare simmer — a hard boil drives the wine off too fast and leaves the pork under-braised. If your pot lid is loose, add a sheet of foil under it to hold the steam in.
Variations
- Smaller pot, same method: halve all quantities and use a smaller pot so the wine still reaches two-thirds up the pork (adaptation).
- Make ahead: braise fully, cool in its sauce and refrigerate; reheat gently the next day. The flavour deepens overnight (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Why is my pork still tough after three hours?
Usually the heat was too high, driving off liquid, or the lid let steam escape. Keep the barest simmer and a tight lid; add a splash of hot wine, not water, if the pot runs dry.
Can I use a slow cooker?
Yes, with a change: brown and assemble as above, then cook on low for 5–6 hours and reduce the sauce in a pan at the end. The source method is stovetop, so timings are a home adaptation.
Is the wine flavour strong?
No — after three hours the alcohol is gone and what remains is a mellow, sweet fermented note, not a boozy one.
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated in its sauce; reheat gently until steaming hot throughout. Freezes well for up to 1 month in sauce; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Dongpo Pork — Recipe Card
Pork belly braised three hours in Shaoxing wine until trembling, glazed amber.
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 3 hoursTotal: 3 hours 20 minutesServings: 2–3 (adaptation: the source portion is 400 g pork belly)
Ingredients: 400 g pork belly; 100 ml Shaoxing wine; 30 g rock sugar; 20 ml light soy sauce; 30 g scallions; 20 g ginger.
Steps: 1) Blanch 5 minutes, rinse, sear skin-side down. 2) Pack skin-side down over scallions and ginger, add wine, sugar, soy, no water. 3) Boil, then lowest heat 1 hour, flip, 1 hour more. 4) Reduce and baste until syrupy. 5) Rest 5 minutes, serve skin-side up.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 东坡肉 (data/reports/121.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. Original poster image: clouchef.com (东坡肉_121.jpeg). The 2–3 serving presentation, the blanching-wine quantity and the drinkable-wine note are adaptations and are labelled as such.