In this video, Chef Wang demonstrates a professional, "less-oil" method for cooking Red Braised Pork Belly (红烧肉), prepared for his uncle. Diverging from simpler home-style versions, this recipe incorporates several key professional techniques to achieve a more refined result. The process involves gently simmering the pork belly whole to retain moisture, pressing it to create a firm texture for neat cutting, and pan-searing the cubes in a dry wok to render excess fat. Unique ingredients like apple are used to provide acidity that cuts through the richness, while red yeast rice imparts a vibrant, deep red color. After being tenderized in a pressure cooker, the pork is finished in a glossy sauce made from the reduced braising liquid and a touch of honey. The final dish is praised for its exceptionally soft and tender skin and fat, though the chef notes the lean meat became slightly dry, offering a critical analysis of his own results.
Chef Wang's Professional, Low-Oil Red Braised Pork Belly
0:08 Pork Preparation: The demonstration begins with a piece of "middle pork belly" (中五花). The skin is scraped clean rather than being seared or burned, a key step for the final texture.
0:43 Gentle Simmering: The entire piece of pork is slowly simmered with ginger, scallions, and a generous amount of Shaoxing wine. It's cooked on a very low heat for about 20 minutes and then soaked off-heat for 30 minutes.
Key Takeaway: This slow, gentle cooking process is crucial for keeping the meat moist and preventing the proteins from tightening up and losing water.
3:13 Professional Pressing: After simmering, the pork is removed and pressed under a weight for 30 minutes.
Key Takeaway: This step firms up the meat, making it easy to cut into uniform cubes, and helps press out additional oil for a less greasy final dish.
5:08 Searing for Flavor and Fat-Rendering: The pork cubes are seared on their four meaty sides in a completely dry wok. The skin and the bottom are not seared.
Key Takeaway: This renders a significant amount of fat and creates a flavorful, browned crust (Maillard reaction) on the meat. The uncle remarks on how modern tastes prefer less oil compared to the past.
6:55 Building Complex Flavors: The braise is built using caramelized rock sugar, the seared pork, red yeast rice (for color), dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, a single star anise, and chunks of apple to add fruitiness and acidity.
9:23 Pressure Cooking for Tenderness: The entire mixture is placed in a pressure cooker and cooked for 10-12 minutes, a time-saving step to make the pork exceptionally tender.
10:02 Creating a Glaze: The pork is removed, and the braising liquid is strained back into the wok. Excess oil is skimmed off, a small amount of honey is added for shine and flavor complexity, and the liquid is reduced over low heat until it becomes a thick, glossy sauce.
11:55 The Final Verdict: The finished dish has an intense red, glossy appearance. The fat and skin are praised for being incredibly soft and "sticky" (软糯). Chef Wang provides a self-critique, noting the lean meat is slightly dry ("柴"), likely from the searing step, and the red yeast rice made the color a bit too strong.
Key Takeaway: The method produces a refined, visually striking, and less greasy version of the classic dish. Achieving the perfect texture requires carefully controlling the searing time and not over-frying the skin.
Summary of YouTube Comments:
The comments offer a mixed but insightful reaction to the video, with several recurring themes:
Critique of the Recipe and Result: A significant number of viewers felt the recipe was a "fail" (翻車). The most common criticisms were that the portion size (only 8 pieces) was impractically small for the amount of effort involved, and that the vibrant color from the red yeast rice looked unnatural and unappetizing. Many agreed with the chef's self-assessment that the lean meat looked dry, suggesting alternative techniques like adding the meat back at the very end of the sauce reduction.
Impractical for Home Cooking: Viewers frequently commented that the multi-step, complex process was "not practical" for a family meal and seemed more like a "show" (作秀) or an "art project" than a useful recipe. The small portion size was a major point of contention, with many noting that the aunt ("四伯娘") seemed hesitant to take a piece.
Love for the Uncle ("四伯"): The uncle remains a beloved figure for the audience. Viewers enjoyed his presence and commentary, particularly his observation about how tastes have shifted away from oily food over the years.
Perceived Change in Chef Wang's Content: Some long-time followers felt the video was "scripted" and that Chef Wang seemed "unfamiliar" or less passionate, speculating that he might be too busy with his offline businesses.
Appreciation for the Techniques: Despite the criticism of the final dish, many viewers still thanked Chef Wang for sharing professional techniques like pressing the pork and using apple for acidity, finding the technical breakdown valuable even if they wouldn't replicate the full recipe.
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