Kitchen Recipe Collection
Dongpo Pork (Dongpo Rou)
A legendary Hangzhou dish named after poet Su Dongpo. Massive squares of pork belly braised for hours in wine and soy sauce until the fat becomes like rich, savory jelly.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 200 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1 kg thick, high-quality skin-on pork belly (in one square block)
- 1 large bunch of scallions (about 10 stalks)
- 1 large knob of ginger, thickly sliced
- 1 cup Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
- 60g rock sugar
- Water
Equipment
- Claypot or heavy Dutch oven
- Bamboo steamer (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Clean the Pork
Scrape the pork skin with a knife to remove impurities. Blanch the whole block in boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinse.
- 2
Cut into Squares
Cut the block into large, perfect 2.5-inch squares. Tie each square in a cross shape with kitchen twine so they hold their shape during the long cook.
- 3
Line the Pot
Line the bottom of a claypot heavily with the whole scallions and thick ginger slices. This prevents the pork from sticking and burning.
- 4
Arrange Pork
Place the tied pork belly squares skin-side DOWN on top of the scallion bed.
- 5
Add Liquids
Add the rock sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Do not add water unless the wine doesn't reach halfway up the pork.
- 6
Braise Skin Down
Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover tightly, and braise for 90 minutes.
- 7
Flip Pork
Carefully flip the pork squares skin-side UP.
- 8
Braise Skin Up
Cover and braise for another 60 minutes until the meat is incredibly tender.
- 9
Reduce Sauce
Remove the pork squares. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan, discarding the mushy scallions and ginger.
- 10
Thicken Glaze
Boil the strained sauce until it reduces into a thick, sticky, dark syrup.
- 11
Steam (Optional)
For true restaurant quality, place the pork squares in a bowl, pour the glaze over them, and steam them for 30 minutes to make the fat extra gelatinous.
- 12
Serve
Remove the twine, glaze the pork one final time, and serve with steamed bok choy and rice.
Cooking Tips
- The massive amount of scallions at the bottom of the pot is essential; they melt into the sauce and provide a deep sweetness.
- Tying the pork with twine prevents the layers of fat and meat from sliding apart during the 3-hour cooking process.
Variations
- Red Braised Pork (Hong Shao Rou): Dongpo pork is cut much larger and relies heavily on wine, whereas Hong Shao Rou uses smaller cubes and caramelizes the sugar first.
Nutrition Estimate
850 calories · 18g protein · 15g carbs · 80g fat · 1g fiber per serving
