Chinese · Authentic-ish Chinese
Hong Shao Rou
382 kcal a serving, against 620 for the traditional version. That is 238 kcal off, or 38%, with 40.7g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Thick slabs of skin-on pork belly, braised slowly in Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and rock sugar. Aromatics like star anise, ginger and spring onions perfume the liquid. As the belly cooks, half its fat renders out, turning the braising liquid into a rich, heavy glaze that heavily coats the meat.
What changed, and what each change costs
1200g of fatty pork for lean pork shoulder, cooked ahead and skimmed
Pork shoulder brings enough collagen to the party to recreate that essential sticky mouthfeel. Chilling the braise overnight lets you lift off the solid fat disc, leaving only the rich, gelatinous stock behind.
What it costs you. You lose the literal wobble. Classic belly yields cubes that are half meat, half jelly. This is just extremely tender, sticky meat.
80g of sugar down to 30g
The original relies on a massive caramel base to balance the harshness of the wine and soy. Dropping the sugar makes the sauce darker and heavily savoury.
What it costs you. You end up with a deep savoury glaze. The version that's a shiny candied shell anymore is still out there and still better. You miss that immediate hit of sweetness on the tip of your tongue.
30g of vegetable oil down to 10g
Traditionally you fry the sugar in oil to make a caramel before adding the meat. I dry-fry the pork first to release its own juices, then use that tiny bit of fat to toast the aromatics.
What it costs you. The colour is slightly less vibrant red and more of a dark brown, because you skip the traditional red caramelisation step entirely.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 620 | 382 |
| Protein | 36g | 40.7g |
| Fat | 41.3g | 16.2g |
| Saturated fat | 13.2g | 5.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 17.6g | 9.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.8g | 10.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Chinese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, soybeans, sulphites.
The method is in the book
This is the first time I've doubted a recipe. Hong Shao Rou is famous because it celebrates fat. Stripping that away felt like making wine without grapes. But the collagen in the shoulder completely saves it. The sauce reduces down to a lip-smacking, gelatinous glaze that clings to the meat beautifully. You get a massive protein hit for a fraction of the calories you'd find in a plate of belly pork. Yes, it lacks the iconic trembling wobble of pure fat, but as a deeply savoury, sticky red braise, this is absolutely brilliant. Accept the trade.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Chinese, along with 55 more. Buy the paperback