Braised Pork Belly (Shanghainese Style) Without Water or Spices❗️Huang Lei's Recipe
Learn cooking from celebrities! Have you watched the food-focused variety show 'The Back to Field'? In it, teacher Huang Lei showcased a Shanghai-style braised pork belly that left me itching to try it. As someone from the north, this was my first time making a slightly sweet version of braised pork belly that doesn't require water or spices. But, I completely fell in love with it. It's rich but not greasy, and it melts in your mouth—truly amazing. Don't stew it with potatoes or cabbage; eat it plain, and you'll find yourself unknowingly eating an extra bowl of rice! ⚠️ Note: Regarding whether pork belly needs to be blanched, opinions vary greatly. Blanching is mainly to remove any odors and impurities. Personally, I think there's no need to overthink it—do what you're used to. If the meat is very fresh, blanching isn't strictly necessary. ❗️Here's my little secret: blanch the whole piece of pork belly. This prevents the meat fibers from quickly toughening. Honestly, I learned this from a chef friend 🤪🤪.
Ingredients
Steps
Blanch the whole pork belly. Add cold water to the pot along with an appropriate amount of green onions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and cooking wine. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and remove the pork, patting it dry. ⚠️ Regarding whether pork belly needs to be blanched, I covered this above—decide based on your habits and the freshness of the meat.
Cut the pork belly into small chunks.
No oil is needed in the pan; on medium-low heat, sear the pork belly until golden brown on all sides. You'll render a lot of oil—don't throw it away. You can store it in the fridge as lard.
Add a full bottle of Hua Diao wine or yellow wine to the pan. ⚠️ 500ml of wine is sufficient to stew about 700g of meat. Of course, it depends on the pan you use—the liquid just needs to cover the meat.
Add a few slices of ginger. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add the pork belly to the pan.
Add the light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat for about 40–60 minutes.
About 10 minutes before it's ready, add rock sugar and salt to adjust the color and flavor. The amount of sugar depends on personal preference, but at least grab a handful. Uncover the pot and reduce the sauce slightly—but don’t let it dry out too much. The sauce is excellent over rice!
The braised pork belly is ready! Rich but not greasy, it melts in your mouth. Absolutely delightful! You'll fall in love with this flavor!
Want to try a piece? Hold back the drool! Grab your pot and make this simple braised pork belly yourself!