Chinese · Jiangnan · main
Shanghai Red-Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)
Shanghai Red-Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou) reads umami 9.0, richness 8.0 and salinity 6.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese · Jiangnan main, about 2 hr 28 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 9.9 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 5.6 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 0.7 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 2.1 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 8.7 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 5.1 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 9.0 · Richness 8.0 · Salinity 6.0 · Sweetness 5.6 · Warm Spice 4.7 · Funk & Ferment 3.3 · Allium 2.6 · Nutty 2.4 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Smoke 1.8 · Earthy 0.9 · Bitterness 0.9 · Sourness 0.7
What's in it (12)
- pork belly — 800 g
- fresh ginger — 30 g
- spring onions — 440 g
- peanut oil — 27 g
- sugar — 70 g
- shaoxing wine — 100 g
- soy sauce — 30 g
- soy sauce — 15 g
- freshly ground star anise — 100 g
- water — 750 g
- eggs — 300 g
- salt — 3 g
Time & effort: about 2 hr 28 min · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 203.9 kcal, 5.3 g protein, 17.7 g fat, 6.3 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (5 steps)
- Put the pork in cold water with half the ginger and 2 tbsp of the Shaoxing wine, bring to the boil, boil 4 minutes, then drain and rinse under warm water. Rinsing under cold water sets the fat hard, so use warm.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, add 50 g of the rock sugar and let it melt and darken to the colour of amber, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pork and turn it in the caramel 3 minutes, until every side is glossy and mahogany.
- Add the remaining ginger, the spring onions and star anise, then the rest of the Shaoxing wine. Let it bubble 30 seconds, then add both soy sauces and the hot water to just cover.
- Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer as gently as your hob allows for 75 to 90 minutes. The fat should be translucent and the skin should give completely under a chopstick. Add the eggs for the last 30 minutes.
- Add the remaining 20 g rock sugar and the salt, uncover, and boil hard 12 to 18 minutes, spooning the liquid over the meat, until it reduces to a thick syrupy glaze that coats the back of a spoon. Shanghainese red-braising is nong you chi jiang, heavy oil and red sauce, and it is meant to be frankly sweet. Serve with rice.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Red-Braised Pork Belly (红烧肉) — Chinese
- Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork (Mao Shi Hong Shao Rou) — Chinese · Hunan
- Rafute (Pork Belly Braised in Awamori and Black Sugar) — Japanese
- Twice-Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou) — Chinese · Sichuan
- Lion's Head Meatballs (Shizi Tou) — Chinese · Jiangnan
Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →
Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.