Red-Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)

Hong shao rou is the Sunday pot roast of China, and in Sichuan homes it gets a whisper of chilies to go with the famous sweet, soy-braised sauce. Cubes of pork belly are caramelized with sugar, then braised low and slow until they turn deep mahogany. It is the dish grandmothers make from memory and everyone else requests by name, and the caramel step matters, it gives the pork its deep color and bittersweet edge.

Mahogany cubes of belly, sweet and falling apart

The long braise melts the fat into the sauce, leaving each cube glistening, tender, and sweet-salty in the best way. A little goes a long way, which is good, because you will want to spoon the sauce over mountains of rice. The sauce turns glossy and rich as it reduces, and it is the part people fight over at the bottom of the pot, so make it a day ahead if you can, since it tastes even better reheated.

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