Chairman Mao Red-Braised Pork

Recipe at a glance

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb pork belly cubes
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 scallions
• 2 star anise
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, optional
• 2 cups hot water

Method

1. Blanch pork belly and drain.
2. Caramelize sugar in oil until amber.
3. Add pork carefully and coat.
4. Add aromatics, soy sauces, wine, and hot water.
5. Simmer covered until tender.
6. Uncover and reduce until glossy.

Menu-literacy notes

• This dish shows Hunan cooking beyond fresh chile heat.
• It is pork belly, not lean meat.
• Color comes from caramel and soy.

Variations and substitutions

• Adjust salt, sugar, chile, and vinegar gradually rather than changing all seasonings at once.
• For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, wrappers, broth, cooking wine, and shared equipment.
• When adapting the dish, preserve the core technique and flavor structure that make it recognizable on a menu.

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