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Savoring Tradition: The Art of Crafting Dongpo Pork

Elias Sterling Elias Sterling
Chinese FestivalLifestyle & Culture

Dongpo Pork stands as a culinary icon of Hangzhou, deeply rooted in the legacy of the esteemed Song Dynasty poet and statesman, Su Dongpo. Celebrated for its luxurious texture that almost dissolves on the palate, this revered dish features substantial squares of pork belly, slowly braised in a sumptuous sauce enriched with Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. The meticulous cooking technique involves gentle simmering and steaming, allowing the fat to transform into a luscious, translucent layer that is rich in flavor yet devoid of greasiness.

Dongpo Pork

📋Ingredients

  • 1kg Skin-on pork belly (cut into 5cm x 5cm cubes)
  • 100g Ginger (thickly sliced)
  • 100g Scallions (green onions), cut into long segments
  • 400ml premium yellow wine
  • 80g Rock sugar (to achieve a glossy finish)
  • 100ml Light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Dark soy sauce (for a rich red hue)
  • Kitchen string (to secure the meat)

🔪How to Cook

  • Step 1: Blanching and Slicing

    • Submerge the entire pork belly slab in cold water and bring it to a boil. Allow it to blanch for 5–8 minutes to eliminate impurities. Cool it under running water before slicing into uniform 5cm squares.

    Preparing Pork

  • Step 2: Tying the Pork

    • Secure each pork square with kitchen string in a cross pattern. This technique ensures the meat and fat layers remain intact throughout the prolonged braising.

    Tying Pork

  • Step 3: Layering the Pot

    • Arrange a substantial layer of scallions and ginger at the base of a sturdy clay pot or Dutch oven. Place the pork cubes on top, with the skin facing down.

    Layering Pot

  • Step 4: The Long Braise

    • Pour in the wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and rock sugar. Ensure the liquid reaches halfway up the pork. Cover and gently simmer on the lowest heat for approximately 2 hours, flipping the pork skin-side up at the midpoint.

    Braising Pork

  • Step 5: The Final Steam

    • Carefully transfer the pork and a portion of its sauce into individual serving bowls or a steaming dish. Steam for an additional 30–60 minutes, ensuring the fat reaches a perfect gelatinous state.

Important Notes

  • The Wine’s Essence: Traditional Dongpo Pork relies heavily on wine rather than water. The high alcohol content aids in breaking down the fat, imparting a refined, aromatic flavor.
  • The Gift of Time: Avoid rushing the cooking process. High heat will toughen the meat. A slow, gentle simmer is essential to achieve that coveted “melt-in-your-mouth” texture.
  • Rock Sugar’s Shine: Opt for rock sugar over white sugar whenever possible. It imparts a mirror-like glaze that ordinary granulated sugar cannot match.
  • Meat Choice: Select “five-layered meat” (Wu Hua Rou), renowned for its distinct layers of fat and lean meat, offering the best texture.

🧪Nutrition Information (Per Serving)

  • Calories: 380 kcal
  • Protein: 13 g
  • Fat: 34 g (Abundant in collagen from the tender skin)
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g (Primarily from the sugar and wine glaze)
  • Sodium: 490 mg

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