Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork (毛氏红烧肉)

Name: Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork (毛氏红烧肉)
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 kg pork belly, cut into 2 cm pieces; 6 slices ginger; 3 tbsp sugar; 1/2 cup shaoxing wine; 3 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 star anise; 4 bay leaves; 1 dried chilli (optional); 2 scallions, chopped

蛟龍Stormwyrm @stormwyrm

This was supposedly Mao Zedong's favourite dish, what he called his "brain food" that helped him defeat his enemies. It's doubtful that most of us will ever obtain the Ningxiang pork required for the authentic recipe as codified by the Hunan provincial authority, but we can make do with what we can get. Based on a recipe from the Woks of Life blog. 🇨🇳

蛟龍Stormwyrm @stormwyrm

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Ingredients

1½ hours

4 servings

1 kgpork belly, cut into 2 cm pieces
6 slicesginger
3 tbspsugar
1/2 cupshaoxing wine
3 tbsplight soy sauce
1 1/2 tbspdark soy sauce
1cinnamon stick
2star anise
4bay leaves
1dried chilli (optional)
2scallions, chopped

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Steps

1½ hours

1

In a saucepan, put the pork and three slices of ginger. Add just enough water to submerge it all. Bring to a boil, covered, on high heat, and once it boils reduce heat to low. Let simmer for a minute, then drain, rinse, and set aside.
2

In a wok or saucepan, put oil and sugar. On low heat, melt the sugar, taking care not to burn it. Mix in the pork, the white parts of the scallions, and remaining ginger. Stir to coat with melted sugar.
3

Add shaoxing wine, soy sauce, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, and chilli peppers. Cover with water, about 4 cups. On medium-low heat, let it simmer until tender, about one hour, taking care not to let it boil dry.
4

Turn up the heat to medium-high, and let the sauce reduce, stirring constantly. The sauce should become a reddish brown glaze on the meat. Add 1 tsp sugar and the green parts of the scallions and stir well. Serve with steamed rice.