Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly with Ginger and Star Anise

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-09 · Updated 2026-04-09

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 developed and reviewed.

A tender pork belly dish simmered in a sweet-savory sauce with aromatic spices, featuring the classic Shanghainese balance of umami and gentle sweetness. This Asian-inspired one-pot recipe, ready in about 100 minutes, pairs pork belly, rock sugar, soy sauce 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: 85 min Serves 4 Asian cuisine 480 cal/serving

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Ingredients

1.5 lbs pork belly
2 tbsp rock sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 thumb-sized piece, thinly sliced fresh ginger
2 pieces star anise
2 cups water

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Instructions

Step 1: Trim excess fat from pork belly and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pat dry with paper towels.
Step 2: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp water to prevent sticking, then add rock sugar and stir until melted and golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add pork belly cubes and stir to coat in caramelized sugar until lightly browned on all sides, 4-5 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in shaoxing wine and soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the pot.
Step 5: Add ginger slices, star anise, and water, then bring to a gentle simmer.
Step 6: Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until pork is fork-tender.
Step 7: Remove star anise and ginger. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken sauce until it coats the back of a spoon.