POPO'S KITCHEN 婆婆廚房 : Shanghai Braised Pork Belly 祖傳紅燒肉

Text and Photographs by Billy Cheung

With introduction from the Editor

With the sun peeking out and flowers beginning to bloom in the month of May, it is a hopeful time, ripe for gratitude and reflection. It is also Asian Heritage Month and an opportunity to collectively appreciate our roots and culture. From our Contributors Circle, Billy is sharing a classic dish of his Popo’s (grandma in Chinese), which is not only delicious, it also brings back fond memories. This is also a recipe from history and rooted in our modern culture in the home kitchen. For Asian Heritage month, we invite you to share your favourite food memories or recipes to celebrate our culture by emailing us at info@fetechinoise.com.

五月是思考、感欣我們的根和文化的好時機。博主Billy 與我們分享他祖母家傳的菜餚，不僅暖胃，還帶回了美好的回憶。暖心的食物也是記載歷史的秘訣。在這亞洲傳統月中，我們邀請你一起慶祝我們的文化，分享你快樂的美食回憶或家傳食譜，電郵至 info@fetechinoise.com。

I   am a first-generation Canadian-Chinese, and I will always define myself that way. Although I don’t have any ties with China as a country, Chinese culture has always been a part of my life, being brought up in a household of immigrants. With this month being Asian Heritage month, I want to share a recipe from some of the people who have made Canada such an amazing place for me to live in: my mom and grandma.

Sponsored by Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Toronto.

My mom and grandma are from a small town near Shanghai. Growing up, my grandma worked the fields to make a living while my mom worked at the age of 12 to help earn some money for the family. Their everyday meals were very simple, consisting of rice and pickled vegetables, but on special occasions, such as Lunar New Year, they would make one of the most decadent dishes in Shanghainese cuisine, braised pork belly (紅燒肉). They made enough to share with the whole community, and it was one of their signature dishes!

Shanghainese Braised Pork Belly is one of the most well-known dishes in Shanghai Cuisine. It consists of large chunks of pork belly, glazed in melted sugar and cooked in a savoury blend of spices and dark soy sauce. When made correctly, the meat will be plump and melt in your mouth! Much of the fat will render out, but this is definitely not a dish you can have every day.

This recipe was passed on from generation to generation in my family. My grandma taught my mom when she was younger, and now it is time for me to learn from both of them and share that secret recipe with you all!

“This popular version of pork belly are braised with soy, rice wine, rock sugar and spices to create a complex taste: salty, sweet, aromatic and umami. The skin and fat become gelatinous, not greasy and melt easily in your mouth. ”

Shanghai Braised Pork Belly 紅燒肉

Ingredients:

Preparation time: 45 minutes | Cook time: 2.5 Hours

1.5 kg pork belly (not too fatty)

8-10 eggs

1 ginger, large piece, peeled and sliced

120 g rock sugar

1 tbsp cooking oil

1.5 tbsp whole cloves

2-3 star anises

2 shallots, peeled and separated

3 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp Shaoxing wine

3-4 cups water

to taste salt and pepper

1/ Fill a large wok with water and bring it to a boil. Add the peel from the ginger into the water. Place the whole piece of pork belly into the water and blanch the meat for about 5 minutes. Once blanched, rince the pork belly under cold water. Set aside.

2/ In a separate pot, boil the eggs for 6-8 minutes and then set aside.

3/ Cut the pork belly into large 1.25-1.5 inch pieces.

4/ In a large wok, at medium heat, melt the rock sugar. (Rock sugar will add a caramel colour to the meat.)

5/Once the sugar starts to melt and bubble, add in the pork belly, toss until each piece is coated with the sugar syrup. Remove from heat. Set aside.

6/In a separate pot, over medium high heat, add in the cooking oil and toss in the cloves, star anise, shallots and ginger. Cook the aromatics for a few minutes.

7/Combine the aromatics with the pork belly. Add in the dark soy, light soy and wine. Stir the pork and ensure everything is coated evenly.

8/In a large pot, add in the aromatic pork belly and enough water almost to cover all the pork. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with a lid. Simmer for 1.5 hours.

9/While the pork is cooking, peel all the boiled eggs.

10/After 1.5 hours, add in the eggs to the pot and cover with sauce. Cook uncovered for another 30 minutes or till the liquid is reduced to your desired thickness.

11/Season to taste.
  You’re ready to eat!

Enjoy the pork with a bowl of rice and some Chinese veggies on the side. 
(P.S. The pork belly tastes even better reheated the next day, so don’t worry if you can’t finish it all.)

Hope you feel inspired to give Billy’s recipe a try! Leave a comment below or tag @fetechinoise on Instagram if you’ve made this dish. We’d love to hear from you!

About the writer, Billy Cheung

Billy is an enthusiast of all things related to food and cooking. His passion developed when he was young since he grew up in a family of restauranteurs and cooks. He believes food and culture go hand-in-hand and wants to share his stories, opinions, and passions with everyone.