Red Cooked Pork (Hong Shao Rou)

This simple and tasty roast pork was Chairman Mao's favorite dish. The Chinese name literally means "red cooked pork."

⏱️ Prep: 10 min🍳 Cook: 60 min

Ingredients

1 pound	455 g	pork belly or shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons	30 ml	vegetable oil
4		garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1/4 cup	60 ml	sugar
1/4 cup	60 ml	rice wine
3 tablespoons	45 ml	soy sauce
1 tablespoon	15 ml	Chinese five-spice powder
—		steamed rice, for serving

Place the pork in a wok or deep pot over medium-high heat. Add water to just cover the pork and bring it to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, skimming any froth off the top.
Remove and strain the pork, reserving the broth.
In a wok or large cast iron skillet, heat the oil, garlic, and sugar over high heat for about 1 minute, until the sugar browns slightly. Add the strained pork and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until browned.
Add the reserved broth, rice wine, soy sauce, and five-spice powder and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes, or until the pork is tender. Stir occasionally to be sure that the pork is not sticking to the bottom of the wok.
Serve over steamed rice.