Home-Style Red-Braised Pork Belly (No Blanching, No Oil)
不焯水不放油的家常红烧肉 · pan chinese cuisine
This recipe was first published in 2014 and has been cooked by tens of thousands of people. The author notes that many commenters say their elders make red-braised pork the same way. The method: no blanching (the raw pork is soaked/rinsed instead), no oil in the pan (the pork renders its own fat), and no separate sugar-color caramelization (rock sugar is added straight to the meat). The recipe uses no salt; the saltiness comes from the soy sauces, so taste as you go and adjust. The 'large spoon' in the original refers to a traditional ceramic soup spoon.
Ingrid HalvorsenNorwegian exchange student missing home cooking. I post about brunost, lefse, and stretching a grocery budget in a tiny dorm kitchen. Simple food, big comfort.Nutrition & allergens
Contains:SoyWheat
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- 601.5(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Protein (g)
- 27.7(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Fat (g)
- 52.7(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Carbs (g)
- 4.2(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Sodium (mg)
- 1119.4(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
pork belly五花肉
24.69 oz
10.0 piece
4.0 slice
2.0 whole
2.0 slice
Dried chiles干辣椒
1.0 whole
1.2 oz
1.2 oz
as needed
Techniques you'll use
- Pan-frying (jian) ↗
Sear food in a shallow layer of oil, one side at a time.
- Sugar caramelizing (chao tang se) ↗
Melt sugar into amber caramel to color and flavor braises.
- Aromatic blooming (bao xiang) ↗
Bloom ginger, garlic, and chili in hot oil to build the aroma base.
- Red-braising ↗
Slow-simmer in soy-sugar-aromatic liquid for deep mahogany flavor.
- Simmering (dun) ↗
Gentle low-heat cooking in liquid until flavors merge and meat softens.
Steps
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients. If the pork belly is frozen, thaw it ahead of time. Slice the ginger. Both dark and light soy sauce are soy sauces: dark soy is mainly for color, light soy for seasoning. If you use a single all-purpose soy sauce or a dedicated braising soy sauce, that works too — just adjust flexibly, since colors and salt levels differ.
✅ Done when: All ingredients are thawed, measured, and within reach.
- 2
Step 2
Use skin-on pork belly. Wash it, changing the water a few times until no more blood seeps out. Drain, ideally patting the surface dry with paper towels. Cut into mahjong-tile-sized chunks. Start heating a kettle of water now — you will need boiling water for braising.
✅ Done when: The pork is cut into uniform chunks with no visible blood water and a dry surface.
Heat the pan with no oil added and add the pork belly. Avoid overlapping the pieces; each piece should touch the pan bottom. Do not rush to flip — at first the pieces will stick and won't release. Pan-fry over low heat; once fat renders out, the pieces can be turned.
✅ Done when: Fat has rendered from the pork and the pieces release from the pan when nudged.
Keep the heat low and use chopsticks to flip each piece until the surfaces are lightly golden-brown and the fat has been coaxed out. Do not fry too long or the meat will toughen. This is similar to the Western searing step that browns the surface to seal in juices.
✅ Done when: The pork pieces are lightly browned on the surface with visible rendered fat in the pan.
Add the rock sugar where the oil collects, stir briefly over low heat, then toss with all the meat. Use small rock sugar crystals; break large chunks into small pieces first or they will not melt. This resembles making caramel sugar color but is not a dedicated caramelization. (If you do want a proper caramel: remove the meat, melt the sugar in the fat over low heat until it bubbles, return the meat, and toss quickly — but never overcook it or it turns bitter. The author skips this and adds the sugar with the meat in the pan, with equally glossy, red results.)
✅ Done when: The rock sugar has mostly melted and the meat is evenly coated.
Once the sugar has largely melted, add the ginger slices, star anise, bay leaves, and dried chile, and toss a few times. The dried chile is entirely optional but a touch of mild heat cuts the richness; the star anise and bay leaves are optional too. Do not overdo the aromatics.
✅ Done when: The aromatics are fragrant and evenly distributed through the meat.
- 7
Step 7
Pour in the yellow rice wine (Shaoxing huadiao is traditional; use regular Chinese cooking wine if unavailable). The wine heats instantly and releases its aroma. Then add the dark and light soy sauces and toss until every piece is coated in color.
✅ Done when: All the pork pieces are evenly colored with the soy sauce mixture.
Pour in boiling water, at least enough to cover the meat. It must be boiling water — cold water will make the hot meat seize and toughen. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer slowly for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Check the liquid occasionally; if it runs low before the meat is tender, top up with boiling water.
✅ Done when: The meat is tender after simmering covered for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
After braising, taste for saltiness and texture; simmer a little longer if needed, though it is usually enough. Uncover, raise the heat, and reduce the sauce, stirring as it thickens — the sugar makes the sauce concentrate. Do not reduce to dryness: once the sauce's water is gone, only fat remains and the meat will fry and turn tough. Stop when a soy-colored sauce still coats the meat, then serve. A sprinkle of sesame seeds makes a nice finish.
✅ Done when: The sauce has thickened to a glossy, soy-colored glaze that coats the pork.