Cubes of pork belly braised in Shaoxing wine, dark soy and rock sugar until the sauce reduces to a sticky, mahogany glaze.
What makes it red-braised pork
Pork belly in cubes, skin on, blanched first.
Dark soy, rock sugar and Shaoxing wine — sweet more than spiced.
The sauce reduced at the end until it coats each piece.
Where it comes from
Red-braising is cooked all over China, but Shanghai's version is the sweet, dark, glossy one — the plainest case of nóng yóu chì jiàng. It's a home dish first, the one many Shanghainese name when asked what their mother made.
There's little in it beyond pork, soy, sugar and wine; the colour comes from dark soy and caramelised sugar, and the shine from reducing the sauce hard at the end.
How it varies
With eggs
Hard-boiled eggs braised in the pot, taking on the colour.
With bean curd knots
Knotted strips of dried bean curd skin, which soak up the sauce.