Braised Green Beans with Pork Belly

Name: Braised Green Beans with Pork Belly
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 300g green beans; 400g pork belly; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 3 slices ginger; 2 cloves, smashed garlic; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar; 1 cup water

A comforting home-style dish where tender pork belly is slow-braised with snappy green beans in a savory, slightly sweet sauce. The pork gets beautifully caramelized before simmering, creating layers of flavor that pair perfectly with steamed rice.

50 min

Medium

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Story

This classic Chinese comfort dish brings together two textural stars: the crisp-tender green beans and the rich, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly. The key is getting that deep golden sear on the pork before adding the braising liquid—it's where all the flavor lives.

Ingredients

green beans 300g

pork belly 400g

vegetable oil 3 tablespoons

ginger 3 slices

garlic 2 cloves, smashed

light soy sauce 2 tablespoons

dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon

Shaoxing wine 2 tablespoons

granulated sugar 1 tablespoon

rice vinegar 1 teaspoon

water 1 cup

Instructions

Prep the ingredients

Cut the pork belly into roughly 5cm chunks. Trim the green beans and snap them into bite-sized pieces. Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil and blanch the pork chunks for about 3 minutes to remove any impurities, then drain and set aside.

Sear the pork

Heat oil in a wide pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, stirring until fragrant—about 30 seconds. Add the pork belly pieces and spread them out in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed until deeply golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes, then flip and repeat. Splash in the Shaoxing wine and let it sizzle while scraping up any browned bits.

Build the braising liquid

Add both soy sauces, sugar, and rice vinegar to the pan. Give everything a good stir to coat the pork evenly. Pour in the water and bring to a gentle boil.

Braise until tender

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let everything simmer for 25 minutes. The pork should be nearly fork-tender and the sauce reduced to a glossy coating. Add the green beans in the last 10 minutes of cooking, stirring occasionally so they absorb the sauce while retaining their snap.

Finish and serve

Once the green beans are tender-crisp and the sauce has thickened to your liking, remove from heat. Discard the ginger and garlic pieces. Serve hot over steamed jasmine rice.