Best 2 Chairman Maos Red Braised Pork Recipes

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork, a renowned dish with a storied history and a tantalizing flavor profile, has captivated taste buds around the world. This delectable dish, said to be a favorite of the revered Chinese leader, Chairman Mao Zedong, has become an iconic representation of Chinese cuisine. The succulent, tender pork, infused with an array of aromatic spices and simmered in a rich, savory sauce, is a true culinary masterpiece that embodies the essence of Chinese culinary heritage.

Let's cook with our recipes!

CHAIRMAN MAO'S RED BRAISED PORK BELLY

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork Belly image

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork Belly is a famous Chinese dish with many slight variations. This recipe involves caramelized sugar, spices, and soy sauce, to create an incredibly flavorful pork belly that you'll want to make again and again.

Provided by Judy

Categories Pork

Time 1h45m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 pounds pork belly ((900g, cut into ¾-inch pieces))
6 slices ginger ((divided))
2 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons sugar ((or 40 grams rock sugar, plus ½ teaspoon))
3 scallions ((diced with the white and green parts separated))
½ cup Shaoxing wine
3 tablespoons light soy sauce ((生抽))
1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce ((老抽))
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
4 bay leaves
1-2 dried chili peppers ((optional))
4 cups water

Steps:

The first step is to blanch the pork belly, which removes any blood or impurities from the meat. To do this, add the pork belly and 3 slices of ginger to a pot with enough cold water to submerge the pork belly. With the lid on, bring it to a boil. Once the pot boils, turn down the heat and simmer for one more minute. Drain, rinse the pork belly clean, and set aside.
With the wok set over low heat, add the oil and rock sugar (or 3 tablespoons regular sugar). Slowly melt the sugar, taking care to not let it burn. Then add in the pork belly, 3 slices ginger, and the white parts of the scallions. Turn up the heat to medium. Stir and coat the pork belly with the melted sugar.
Now, add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, dried chili peppers, and water. Stir and make sure everything is submerged. There will be some caramelized sugar on your spatula, dissolve it in the water before covering the wok. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour. Check the pork periodically to make sure the sauce doesn't dry up.
Once the pork is to your liking in terms of tenderness, turn up the heat to cook off any excess sauce, stirring constantly. The sauce will reduce to a glistening coating on the pork belly. Last, add in the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar and the green parts of the scallions. Stir quickly and serve!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 667 kcal, Carbohydrate 7 g, Protein 12 g, Fat 64 g, SaturatedFat 22 g, Cholesterol 82 mg, Sodium 610 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 5 g, ServingSize 1 serving

CHAIRMAN MAO'S RED-BRAISED PORK

Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork image

From the Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. Chairman Mao's nephew told the author that the people of Mao's home village, Shaoshan, recommend red-braised pork as a health food: "Men eat it to build their brains and ladies to make themselves more beautiful" and this is Mao Anping's recipe. The recipe below gets its lovely reddish gloss from caramelized sugar, but you can also substitute dark soy sauce. Traditional variations also can include stir-frying the finished pork recipe with water chestnuts, garlic cloves, mushrooms or fried tofu.

Provided by FLKeysJen

Categories Pork

Time 1h10m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 lb lean pork (the recipe calls for pork belly but this is a lighter version)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or 1 tablespoon sherry wine
3/4 inch piece fresh ginger, skin left on and sliced
1 star anise
2 dried red chilies
1 cinnamon stick (or 1 piece of cassia bark)
light soy sauce, to taste
salt, to taste
sugar, to taste
scallion, to garnish (green parts only)

Steps:

Plunge the pork into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked; remove and, when cool enough to handle, cut in bite-sized chunks.
Heat the oil and sugar in a wok over low heat until the sugar melts, then raise the heat and stir until the melted sugar turns a rich caramel brown; add the pork and splash in the wine.
Add enough water just to cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, chilies and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes.
Toward the end of the cooking time, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce, and season with soy sauce, salt and a little sugar to taste; add the scallion greens just before serving.

Tips:

Use high-quality pork belly: Look for pork belly with a good amount of marbling, as this will result in more tender and flavorful meat.
Brown the pork belly well: This will help to develop flavor and color.
Use a variety of spices and aromatics: This will give the braised pork a complex and flavorful taste.
Let the pork belly braise for a long time: This will allow the meat to become very tender and fall apart easily.
Serve the braised pork with rice or noodles: This is a classic Chinese dish that is often served with steamed rice or noodles.

Conclusion:

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork is a delicious and easy-to-make Chinese dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The combination of sweet, savory, and slightly spicy flavors is sure to please everyone at the table. This classic dish can be served with rice or noodles, and it's a great way to use up leftover pork belly.