Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork

Chairman Mao's red-braised pork (Máo Shì hóngshāo ròu) is the Hunan variant of red-braised pork belly — a preparation that differs from the sweeter Shanghai and Hangzhou versions in its use of chilli and its more robust seasoning profile. The 'Mao-style' designation refers to a claim, widely accepted in Hunan, that Mao Zedong ate this preparation regularly throughout his life and specifically requested it from his native Shaoshan. Whether or not the biographical detail is precise, it has established the dish as a fixture on the menus of Hunan restaurants across China.

Pork belly — sān céng ròu, 'three-layered pork', for the alternating lean-fat-lean-fat-lean cross-section — is blanched first to remove blood and impurities, then cut into roughly 4–5cm cubes and lightly browned in oil or caramelised sugar. The braise liquid is soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, dried red chillies and sometimes doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste), star anise and cinnamon. The pot is covered and cooked at very low heat for at least two hours.

The Hunan version differs from the Shanghai version in two key respects: the chilli element, which adds a mild persistent heat absent from the Jiangnan style, and a slightly less sweet overall balance — the rock sugar is present but not dominant. The fat in the finished version should have dissolved to a yielding, trembling consistency rather than remaining firm. The braising liquid reduces to a dark, lacquered glaze.

In Changsha restaurants it is served in a small clay pot, sometimes with mei cai (preserved mustard greens) or dried tofu layered underneath to absorb the sauce.