Dongpo pork

Dongpo pork
Traditional Chinese	東坡肉
Simplified Chinese	东坡肉
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Dōngpō ròu

Dongpo pork is a Hangzhou dish^[1] which is made by pan-frying and then red cooking pork belly. The pork is cut to around 2 inches square in dimensions, consisting of half fat and half lean meat. The mouth feel is oily but not greasy, with the fragrance of wine. The dish is named after the famed Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo.^[2]

Origins

Legend has it that while Su Dongpo was banished to Hangzhou, in a life of poverty, he made an improvement of the traditional process. He first braised the pork, added Chinese fermented wine and made red-braised pork, then slowly stewed it on a low heat.

References

1. ^ Cannon, Gwen, ed (2010). Michelin Must Sees Shanghai. London: Michelin Apa Publications. pp. 133. ISBN 9781906261993. http://books.google.com/books?id=PjlQTjxgcDoC. 
2. ^ Law, Eugene (2004). Intercontinental's best of China. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press. p. 336. ISBN 9787508504292. http://books.google.com/books?id=hUb_BQNkXdQC.