Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Red-braised pork
China’s best-loved home braise: pork belly cooked slowly in soy sauce, rice wine and caramelised sugar until glossy, dark red and tender. Every region has its version; the Hunan one is famous as Mao Zedong’s favourite dish.
Different technique MildRecipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.
This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Red-braised pork. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.
Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Red-braised pork
See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map
The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.
Main ingredient: 750 g Pork belly, in 3 cm cubes (or beef brisket or chicken thighs for a halal or pork-free version).
Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.
Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.
Red-braised pork: do thisInstead of onions and chillies, cut spring onions into lengths and slice the ginger.
Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Red-braised pork: do thisBlanch the pork in boiling water for 3 minutes and drain. Then melt the sugar in a little oil on low heat until amber.
Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.
Red-braised pork: do thisUse the blanched pork.
Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Red-braised pork: do thisAdd the pork and stir until every piece is coated in the caramel.
Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.
Red-braised pork: do thisInstead of chilli powder and turmeric, add the ginger, spring onions, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves.
Base step: do not useKeep frying until just before they start browning.
Red-braised pork: do thisAdd the rice wine and soy sauces and stir for a minute.
Base step: do not useAdd some water.
Red-braised pork: do thisAdd hot water to just cover.
Base step: do not useAdd salt.
Red-braised pork: do thisNo salt: the soy sauce is salty enough.
Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Red-braised pork: do thisSimmer covered for 1–1½ hours, then uncover and boil until the sauce is thick and coats the meat.
Serve: With steamed rice and a green vegetable.
For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.
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