Name: Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: East Asian
Ingredients: 1kg pork belly, skin on, cut into 4cm cubes; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 60g rock sugar (or 3 tbsp brown sugar); 4 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine; 500ml water; 3 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 4 dried chilis (optional — traditional in Hunan style); 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 3 slices fresh ginger; 2 spring onions, tied in a knot

Mao Zedong's favorite dish — pork belly slow-braised in soy, Shaoxing wine, and rock sugar until tremblingly tender and lacquered red.

The Cultural Story

Mao Zedong was born in Shaoshan, Hunan, in 1893, and he never lost his attachment to Hunan food — especially this dish. Visitors to Beijing during his leadership were often served it at state banquets, regardless of the occasion. Red-braised pork (红烧肉, hóngshāo ròu) exists in countless regional variations across China, but the Hunan version has a specific character: less sweet than Shanghai's, bolder with chili and star anise, the pork belly cut thicker, the cooking extended until the fat melts to near-transparency. Mao reportedly believed the dish gave him mental clarity — he called the fat "brain food" and was said to eat it the night before important decisions. Whether or not this is true, the dish has an undeniable meditative quality. The braising liquid reduces slowly over low heat, the kitchen filling with dark, wine-sweet fragrance for hours. When you lift the lid, the pork has collapsed into itself: amber-red, trembling, the fat layers become translucent gelatin. Serve it over rice and eat it as Mao did — without restraint.

Ingredients

1kg pork belly, skin on, cut into 4cm cubes
3 tbsp neutral oil
60g rock sugar (or 3 tbsp brown sugar)
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
500ml water
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
4 dried chilis (optional — traditional in Hunan style)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
3 slices fresh ginger
2 spring onions, tied in a knot

Instructions

1Blanch pork belly cubes in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and pat dry.
2Heat oil in a heavy pot or wok over medium heat. Add rock sugar and stir slowly until it melts and turns amber-caramel, about 3 minutes. Watch carefully — it burns fast.
3Add pork belly pieces. Toss to coat in the caramel. Fry 2 minutes until browned on surfaces.
4Add Shaoxing wine — it will spit and steam dramatically. Add soy sauces, water, star anise, cinnamon, dried chilis, garlic, ginger, and spring onions. Stir.
5Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam. Reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer. Cover and braise 60 minutes.
6Remove lid. Increase heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes more, turning the pork occasionally, until the liquid reduces to a thick, glossy glaze that coats the pork. The fat should be completely translucent.
7Remove aromatics. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over white rice, spooning extra braising liquid over the top.
8The dish improves dramatically overnight — the fat sets, the flavors deepen, and reheating slowly the next day produces the best version.

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