What is the name of the braised pork belly dish known as 'red braised pork'?

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What is the name of the braised pork belly dish known as “red braised pork”? Hong shao rou is the answer.

Hong shao rou is a classic Chinese dish made from pork belly slowly braised until the meat becomes tender and the sauce turns glossy, rich, and reddish-brown. The red color comes from the red-cooking technique, which commonly combines soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, ginger, garlic, and aromatic spices such as star anise.

The dish has regional variations across China. Shanghai-style hong shao rou is often sweeter and glossier, with more rock sugar and Shaoxing wine. A Hunan version, sometimes called Mao-style red-braised pork, is associated with Mao Zedong’s food preferences and commonly uses local Ningxiang pork.

Hong shao rou is not the same as twice-cooked pork, which slices pork and stir-fries it with seasonings, or Dongpo pork, a related braised pork dish especially associated with Hangzhou. Hong shao rou is usually served with rice and greens, and eggs or vegetables may be braised in the sauce.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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