Red-Braised Pork Belly
"Perfectly layered blocks of pork belly slow-braised to a translucent, melt-in-the-mouth mahogany texture in a heavily reduced, sticky sweet sauce."
Logistics
Moderate
Vibe
Decadent, Rich, Heavy
Duration
1.5 hours
Best For
Celebratory dinners
The Backstory
The definitive Shanghainese iteration of braised pork relies heavily on regional ingredients: Shaoxing rice wine, dark soy sauce, and massive amounts of rock sugar to create its legendary caramel sweetness.
Local Secret
"Must be eaten explicitly over a bowl of plain white rice to absorb the intense, viscous sauce. Book well in advance at Old Jesse Restaurant (Lao Jishi) on Tianping Road for the ultimate caramelized version."
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