Instant Pot Red Braised Pork Belly

Instant Pot Red Braised Pork Belly. The Chinese classic, adapted for pressure cooking, with tender chunks of pork belly cooked in soy sauce and spices.

Jump to:

• What is Red Braised Pork Belly?
• Ingredients
• How to Make Red Braised Pork Belly in Instant Pot
• What does red braised pork belly taste like?
• Recipe Tips
• Instant Pot Red Braised Pork Belly
• 💬 Comments

This was Chairman Mao Zedong’s favorite meal. In Hunan, where he grew up, the recipe is named after him - Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork. Sure, he was a tyrant, but he enjoyed his pork.

Too soon? Ahem. Sorry. I know, I know…don’t discuss dictators in the opening of a recipe. But it’s too good of an anecdote, so I have to share.

Back to cooking. Pressure cooking, that is. This is not a low fat recipe - good pork belly is more fat than pork - and the key is making the fat tender and wobbly. That’s where my Instant Pot comes in, taking an all-afternoon simmer and turning it into tender pork in about an hour.

Looking for some other red cooked recipes? Try my Instant Pot Red Cooked Chicken, or my Instant Pot Pork Adobo for a Filipino variation.

What is Red Braised Pork Belly?

Red braising is the Chinese technique of long, slow cooking in soy sauce. Red braised pork belly is a classic example, with hunks of pork belly cooked until the meat is tender and the fat turns to jelly.

Ingredients

Pork Belly, skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
Water
Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
Soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
Ginger
Garlic
Brown Sugar
Five spice powder

How to Make Red Braised Pork Belly in Instant Pot

Everything in the pot

Put the pork belly cubes in an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Stir in the water, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Scatter the ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and five-spice powder over the top.

Pressure Cook for 30 minutes with a Natural Release

Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot). Let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 more minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.) Remove the lid, tilting it away to avoid the hot steam.

Reduce the liquid and glaze the pork belly

(Optional but worth the extra fifteen minutes.) Gently scoop the cooked pork belly out of the pot with a slotted spoon and move it to a platter. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode adjusted to high (medium-high heat on a stovetop). Bring the pot liquid to a boil until reduced by half, about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure the sauce is not sticking to the bottom and burning. Turn off the heat and add the pork belly to the pot, stirring to coat it with the thickened sauce. Transfer the pork belly to a serving bowl, pass the extra sauce at the table, and enjoy!

What does red braised pork belly taste like?

Red braised pork belly is a surprising balance of flavors. It is full of pork flavor: tender meat with melting fat thanks to the pressure cooking; it's like pork jello. The pork cubes have a complex combination of Chinese flavors, sweet, salty, and sour, thanks to the brown sugar, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. There is also a hint of aromatics from the ginger and garlic. It's a fantastic combination, and easy to see why it is one of the classics of Hunan cooking.

Recipe Tips

• Can't find pork belly? You can substitute boneless pork shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes. The cooking time stays the same. It won't have the jellied consistency that makes pork belly unique, but it will have tender, shreddable pork.
• Only finding sliced pork belly? My local stores will often have pork belly sliced about ½-inch thick. You can use thin slices of pork belly in this recipe; cut each slice into pieces, about 1 inch long, then reduce the pressure cooking time to 15 minutes.
• I make a special trip to my local Asian market for Shaoxing rice wine and dark soy sauce. (Shaoxing is sometimes spelled Shao Hsing - they're the same wine). Dark soy sauce is a thick, sweet soy sauce that helps coat the pork cubes. If you can't find them, substitute dry sherry for the Shaoxing wine and regular soy sauce for the dark soy sauce.

Inspired by: Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province by Fuchsia Dunlop

Print

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts

Pressure Cooker Chinese Kale
Pressure Cooker Chinese Red Cooked Chicken Thighs
Pressure Cooker Chinese Pepper Steak
My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes

Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via email and share this post with your friends. Want to contribute directly? Donate to my Tip Jar, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.