Finished dish photo of Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style)

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style)

I didn't used to like pork very much, but after a trip to Malaysia where I had some delicious pork dishes, combined with rising pork prices and the pandemic, I suddenly fell in love with it. I'm quite obsessed with it now.

Ingredients

Pork belly500g (serves about 3-4 people)
Yellow rock sugarA handful
Cooking wine3 tablespoons
Dark soy sauce2 tablespoons
Light soy sauce3 tablespoons
Scallion sections8 sections
Ginger slices5 slices

Steps

1

Cut the pork into chunks and blanch in water. This time, there was more lean meat, and I also added an extra piece of ribs from last time.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 1
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2

Prepare the scallion sections and ginger slices.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 2
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3

Heat the oil over medium heat.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 3
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4

Add the scallions and ginger to stir-fry until fragrant.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 4
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5

Add the pork and stir-fry until the meat is released.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 5
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6

Pour in the cooking wine.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 6
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7

Pour in the light soy sauce.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 7
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8

Pour in the dark soy sauce.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 8
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9

Add the rock sugar.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 9
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10

Add enough water to cover the pork, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 10
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11

Remove the lid and turn up the heat to reduce the sauce.

Shanghai Braised Pork (Sweet Style) - Step 11
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Cooking Tips

*Yellow rock sugar will give the dish a beautiful color. If color isn't important, regular sugar can be used instead. If you don't like it sweet, you can omit the sugar—it depends on personal taste. *Don't worry if the pork doesn't look very dark when you add the water; the color will deepen as the sauce reduces. *Dark soy sauce is mainly for color. If you prefer a darker color, add more; if not, add less. *If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can add extra salt. *Usually, the pork can't be finished in one day. Keep the leftover pork and sauce, and the next day, buy some baked wheat gluten to cook with it—it's super delicious!