5-Minute Chinese Red Braised Pork Belly Hong Shao Rou Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds Pork Belly, Skin‑On (Trim excess fat if desired, cut into bite‑size pieces about thumb‑size)
• 6 stalks Scallions (White and green parts kept together, later removed)
• 5 cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 5 slices Ginger (About 1‑inch thick slices)
• 1 stick Cinnamon Stick (Optional, adds warm aroma)
• 3 leaves Bay Leaves (Optional, remove before serving)
• 0.25 cup Granulated Sugar (Adds caramel sweetness)
• 3 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing) (Adds depth and aroma)
• 3 tbsp Soy Sauce (Regular light soy sauce)
• 2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce (Provides color and richer flavor)
• 1 tbsp Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang (Spicy Bean Paste) (Optional for heat and umami)
• 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce (Optional substitute for Dou Ban Jiang if you don’t like spice)
• 1.5 cups Water (Enough to just cover ingredients, level slightly below)

Instructions

1. Trim and Cut Pork Belly

   Remove any excess skin if desired, then slice the pork belly into log‑shaped strips and cut those into bite‑size pieces about the size of a thumb.

   Time: PT5M

2. Prepare Aromatics

   Slice the scallions into 2‑inch pieces, mince the garlic, and cut the ginger into thin slices.

   Time: PT5M

3. Assemble Ingredients in Rice Cooker

   Place the pork pieces into the rice cooker pot. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Sprinkle the sugar, pour in the cooking wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and optional Dou Ban Jiang or oyster sauce. Finally, add 1.5 cups of water, making sure the liquid level sits just below the ingredients.

   Time: PT5M

4. Cook the Pork Belly

   Close the rice cooker lid, press the “Cook” button, and let it simmer for 1.5–2.5 hours. If your cooker stops at its longest setting, simply press “Start” again to continue until the sauce thickens.

   Time: PT2H30M

5. Check Sauce Consistency

   After the initial cooking period, open the lid and assess the sauce. If it looks thin, continue cooking in 10‑minute increments until it becomes thick, glossy, and coats the pork.

   Time: PT10M

6. Finish and Serve

   Remove the scallion pieces, ginger slices, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Transfer the pork to a serving plate and serve hot over steamed white rice.

   Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

500

Protein

20 g

Carbohydrates

15 g

Fat

35 g

Fiber

1 g