How to Make Chinese Braised Pork Belly - A Step-by-Step Guide

If you've ever had Chinese braised pork belly, you know just how mouthwateringly delicious it can be. This rich and flavorful dish is a true comfort food, with its tender and succulent pork belly and the savory and slightly sweet sauce that it's braised in. In Chinese cuisine, this dish is a classic, and it's a favorite for many as part of a dim sum spread or as a main course served with steamed rice.

While this traditional Chinese dish may seem intimidating to make at home, it's actu...

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Ingredients

  • 3 pounds skinless pork belly
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 4 cups water, or more if needed
  • 5 large green onions, diagonally cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 8 cloves garlic, smashed
  • ½ cup fino dry sherry
  • ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons dark molasses
  • 8 whole star anise
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Information

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins
  • Servings: 12
  • Yield: 24 pieces

  • Cut pork into eight 2x3-inch pieces.
  • Heat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over high heat. In 2 batches, sear pork, fat sides first, until light golden, 30 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate. Pour out all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
  • Add 1/3 cup sugar to pot; melt, stirring if needed, over medium-high heat. Cook until a light caramel color, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, then return pork to pot, turning pieces to coat. When sugar darkens to an orange color, after about 1 minute, add water; stir to loosen any sugar stuck to the bottom.
  • Add green onions, garlic, sherry, soy sauce, molasses, star anise, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. If needed, add up to 1/2 cup additional water to nearly cover pork. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, turning occasionally, until a knife inserted 1/4 inch into the fat layer meets little resistance, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
  • Transfer pork to a plate with a slotted spoon; loosely cover. Skim fat and drain solids from cooking liquid. Return 4 cups liquid to pot and bring to a boil; simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Sauce will thicken more as it cools.
  • Slice pork into twenty-four 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Working in batches, warm pork with half the sauce in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Turn pork frequently to coat and, if desired, let sear slightly. Garnish with cucumber slices and sliced green onion.
  • Nutrition

    279 cal.

    • Total Fat: 17g
    • Saturated Fat: 5g
    • Cholesterol: 41mg
    • Sodium: 1285mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 16g
    • Dietary Fiber: 1g
    • Total Sugars: 10g
    • Protein: 15g
    • Vitamin C: 4mg
    • Calcium: 35mg
    • Iron: 2mg
    • Potassium: 361mg