Dongpo Pork, Tender and Chewy Braised Pork Belly
A Chinese-style pork dish where seared and boiled whole pork belly is braised to a glossy finish in a seasoned soy sauce reduction.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This special dish begins by pan-frying skin-on whole pork belly until browned all over, then simmering it thoroughly to keep it juicy with a chewy texture. Braising it gently in a savory soy reduction made with the pork broth makes it perfect for dinner guests or festive occasions.
- Servings
- 4–5 servings
- Cook time
- 60 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pork belly700 g (whole block)
- Bok choy4
- Large green onion (daepa)2 (julienned)
Pork belly boiling liquid
- Water8 cups
- Large green onion (daepa)1
- Onion1/2
- Garlic5 cloves
- Ginger1 piece (thumb-sized)
- Soju5 tbsp
- Coffee1 tbsp
- Whole black peppercorns10, 1 tsp (approx.)
Braising sauce
- Water from boiling pork belly1 cup
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)4 tbsp
- Oyster sauce1 tbsp
- Dark brown sugar2 tbsp
- Cheongju (Korean rice wine) (or mirin (cooking rice wine))4 tbsp
- Garlic5 cloves
- Ginger1 piece
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Buy a whole block of skin-on pork belly for Dongpo pork. The skin gives it a chewy texture.
- Instead of pork belly, you can also use pork collar or pork picnic shoulder intended for boiled pork (suyuk).
- You can also use other vegetables, such as garlic chives or chicory.
Steps
Buy a whole block of skin-on pork belly for Dongpo pork. Having the skin on makes it chewy and delicious.
Cut the pork belly into 3 to 4 pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a preheated pan and pan-fry the meat almost like shallow-frying until the top, bottom, and cut sides are all browned.
Doing this helps prevent the juices from escaping while the meat simmers for a long time.
Now boil the pork belly. Add all the ingredients for the boiling liquid to a pot, and once it comes to a rolling boil...
Add the pork belly and boil for 1 hour.
Pierce the meat with a chopstick or toothpick; if no bloody juices come out, it is cooked all the way through. Strain the pork broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to collect at least 1 cup of clear broth. You will use it for the braising sauce.
Slice the boiled pork belly thickly. Meat boiled this way is also delicious served with kimchi or wrapped in lettuce. You can use this exact method whenever boiling meat for suyuk.
Add all the ingredients for the braising sauce and bring to a boil. If you like, you can add 1 tsp of cinnamon powder to the braising sauce.
Once the braising sauce boils, add the meat and braise over low heat. Flip the meat two or three times along the way.
Do not boil it down completely; braise until a shallow amount of sauce remains. Blanch the bok choy briefly in boiling water with a pinch of salt, rinse in cold water, and drain well. For the large green onion, finely julienne only the white root part, rinse in cold water to remove the sliminess and pungency, then lift out and drain. You can also use other vegetables like garlic chives or chicory. Arrange the bok choy, shredded green onion, and pork on a plate, then spoon the remaining braising sauce over the meat to finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Pan-frying the cut sides of the pork belly until browned helps keep the meat juices from escaping while it boils for a long time.
- When you pierce the meat with a chopstick or toothpick, it is cooked through if no bloody juices come out.
- If you like, you can add 1 tsp of cinnamon powder to the braising sauce.
- Finely julienne only the white root part of the large green onion, then rinse in cold water to remove the sliminess and pungency.
FAQ
Why do you pan-fry the pork belly before boiling it?
Shallow-frying the outside until browned seals in the juices and keeps them from leaking out during the long boiling time.
Can I make this with a different cut of meat instead of pork belly?
Yes, you can follow the same method using pork collar or pork picnic shoulder meant for boiled pork (suyuk).
What vegetables can I serve alongside besides bok choy?
Depending on your preference, you can pair the pork with other greens such as garlic chives or chicory instead of bok choy.
How can I tell if the meat is fully cooked to the center?
Pierce the thickest part of the meat with a chopstick or toothpick; if clear juices run out with no blood, it is fully cooked through.
