Grandma's Old School Sticky Chinese Pork Belly 阿嬤古早味红烧肉 Easy Lunch or Dinner Recipe

hoisin sauce

🥗Healthier: plum sauce

💰Cheaper: soy sauce + sugar

Plum sauce offers a similar sweetness and texture.

pork belly

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken thighs are leaner, while pork shoulder is more affordable.

Start by blending the pork belly using room temperature water, ensuring the skin is shaved or burned off.

Turn on the heat to medium and let the water come to a boil.

Once boiling, let the pork belly boil for 5 minutes to remove scum and blood.

Turn off the heat, remove the pork, wash it, and set it aside, keeping the ginger for later.

In a wok over medium heat, add a little oil and the pork belly, pan-frying to release some fat and dry it out slightly.

Add 50g of rock sugar to the pork belly and caramelize it, adjusting the heat to medium-low as needed.

Once the rock sugar has melted, add hot water just enough to cover the pork belly.

Add the ginger, 3 cloves of lightly smashed garlic, 6 tablespoons of light soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, stirring to mix well.

Cover the wok and simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes, or up to 1 hour for more tenderness.

After simmering, turn up the heat to medium or medium-high to reduce the sauce until it becomes sticky, which takes about 15-20 minutes.

If needed, thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch solution, stirring to coat the pork belly.

Remove from the pan and serve over steamed rice.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens