Hunan-Style Braised Pork Belly with Lotus Root

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Rich pork belly slowly braised with crunchy lotus root in a savory, slightly sweet Hunan sauce. This Chinese-inspired pork recipe, ready in about 85 minutes, pairs pork belly, lotus root, ginger for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 480 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 70 min Serves 4 Chinese cuisine 480 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 1 lb pork belly cubes and brown on all sides for 6-8 minutes until golden and the fat begins to render.
  2. Step 2: Add 1 inch sliced ginger, 3 smashed garlic cloves, and 1 tsp dried chili flakes; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Step 3: Stir in 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, and 1 tbsp rock sugar, mixing well to coat the pork.
  4. Step 4: Pour in 1 cup chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering gently for 45 minutes.
  5. Step 5: Add 8 oz sliced lotus root and 2 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces, cover again and cook for an additional 20 minutes until lotus root is tender but still crisp.
  6. Step 6: Remove from heat, discard scallions and ginger slices, and serve the pork belly and lotus root with steamed jasmine rice.

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