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Chinese · Hunan

Mao Shi Hong Shao Rou (毛氏红烧肉) — Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork

Mao shi hong shao rou (毛氏红烧肉, Mao family red-braised pork) is the Hunan version of red-braised pork belly attributed to the culinary preferences of Mao Zedong — who reportedly ate this dish frequently throughout his life and considered it brain food (the high fat content, he claimed, supported cognitive function). The Hunan version of hong shao rou differs from the Jiangnan Dongpo rou preparation in being somewhat less sweet, cooked at higher heat with more direct caramelization rather than slow-sealed braising, and accompanied by the characteristic Hunan flavour additions of dried chillis and more aggressive seasoning.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
ServesFour portions
TotalAbout 1 hour 45 minutes
Sourced4of 11 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

500 g
pork belly
skin-on, cut into 4 cm chunks
Your own market
2 tbsp
neutral oil
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tbsp
rock sugar
Origin · ChinaWismettac · Vancouver →
3 tbsp
Shaoxing wine
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tbsp
1 tbsp
3–4
dried red chillies
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3 slices
fresh ginger
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
2
star anise
Your own market
1
cinnamon stick
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
500 ml
water
approximately, enough to just cover the pork
Your own market

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Place the pork belly chunks in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat dry. The flesh should be just opaque at the surface.
2
Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the rock sugar and stir continuously for approximately 5 minutes until the sugar has fully melted and turned to a deep, dark amber caramel — one step before bitter. This is where the dish lives or dies: a pale caramel yields sweetness without complexity; only a distinctly dark amber caramel produces the bittersweet depth that defines the Hunan preparation.
3
Add the blanched pork chunks to the caramel. The pork should hiss and bubble vigorously on contact. Toss to coat every surface in the caramel.
4
Pour in the Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and light soy sauce. Add the dried chillies, ginger slices, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Add enough water to just cover the pork. The liquid should be a deep, reddish-brown.
5
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and braise for 1 hour. The pork should be tender throughout when probed with a chopstick.
6
Remove the lid. Raise the heat to medium and continue cooking for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to a thick, glossy coat that clings to each pork chunk. The surface of the pork should be lacquered and visibly shining.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Heritage-breed pork belly with a thick, even fat cap and firm skin; hand-broken Zhenjiang or aged Shaoxing wine; whole rock sugar from a Chinese provisions specialist.
02
Estate — Free-range pork belly from a butcher who can confirm skin-on, even layering; a named Shaoxing huadiao wine; block rock sugar from an Asian supermarket.
03
Market — Standard supermarket pork belly, skin-on; commercially bottled Shaoxing cooking wine; pre-packaged rock sugar crystals.
04
House — Any skin-on pork belly available; dry sherry as a substitute for Shaoxing wine; granulated sugar substituted for rock sugar, though the texture of the final caramel will differ.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Sight. The caramel is a deep, dark amber — distinctly darker than honey — with a faint haze of smoke rising from the surface.
◇Sound. The pork chunks hiss and sputter loudly the moment they enter the caramel, confirming the pan is at the correct temperature.
◇Touch. A chopstick inserted into the thickest chunk of pork meets no resistance after the covered braise, indicating the collagen has softened.
◇Sight. After the final reduction, the sauce coats the back of a spoon and each pork chunk is visibly lacquered — not pooled in thin liquid.
◇Where it lives or dies. The caramel must reach a deep, dark amber — one step before burnt — or the dish will be sweet rather than bittersweet and complex.
Pillar V
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The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Caol Ila 12 Year Old Single Malt
Caol Ila Distillery · Islay
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia

Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.

Without alcohol

No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.

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The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Wismettac
Vancouver · rock sugar
→
Purely Artisan Foods
San Diego · dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, fresh ginger
→
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