Braised Pork with Potatoes
Learn how to make the culinary equivalent of a warm snuggle!
Cooking Summary
Ingredients: (detailed list)
- Main Ingredients: pork belly, potato, red onion, carrot, garlic, green onion, boiling water, oil
- Seasoning: ground bean sauce, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil
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Top 3 Mistakes
- Letting the braise dry out:
Watch the braising liquid as the potatoes absorb it. Add small amounts of water when needed, keeping the finished dish saucy without flooding it into a thin, watery soup.
- Leaving ingredients too wet:
Drain and dry the ingredients as directed before they reach the pan. Extra water changes how they cook, making it harder to get the browning and texture the recipe calls for.
- Moving the meat too soon:
Let the meat cook undisturbed for the interval in the recipe before turning or stirring. Moving it immediately interrupts browning and can make it stick or cook unevenly.
Overview
Braised Pork and Potatoes is the heartiest comfort food that combines the humblest of ingredients to make a truly decadent meal. This will warm you right up on any chilly day.
Make sure you have lots of freshly steamed rice on the table; this dish is perfection over rice!
Ingredients
Why this recipe
Most braised pork with potatoes recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 172.8K views, 2.6K likes on YouTube.
Cuts of pork for braising
We use pork belly for our braised dish. You can also use pork butt, which is a relatively marbled and tender cut taken from the pig's shoulder area.
Pork shoulder is a leaner cut, and you could make it work, though it'd braise up to be slightly less tender. Avoid very lean cuts such as pork chops; those will simply turn out dry.
How to make Braised Pork with Potatoes
Peel potatoes (2 lb). Place the peeled potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from oxidizing and browning. Of course, if you prefer to eat the skin, you can leave the potatoes unpeeled and simply clean them thoroughly.
Once you’ve peeled all the potatoes, give them another quick rinse. Drain the water, then cut the potatoes into bite-sized triangular chunks.
Trim off the ends of the carrots (3 oz). Peel and rinse them, then cut into triangular chunks.
Cut the red onion (3 oz) into bite-sized pieces.
Peel the garlic (3 clove), then cut into thirds.
We’ll use only the green parts of the green onions (3 stalk) for this recipe; cut them into 2-inch long batons.
Place the pork (1 lb) in a bowl of cold water. Scrape the surface of the skin to remove debris and hair. To scrape, drag the blade of your knife sideways along the surface, dipping into the water to rinse.
When the skin is clean to your satisfaction, remove the pork from the bowl and pat it dry with paper towels.
Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces, at least an inch thick. If the pieces are too small or too thin, they’ll fall apart during the braise.
Heat a wok on high. Add oil (1 tsp).
Add the red onion and stir-fry until fragrant, or about 30 seconds. Transfer the red onion to a bowl.
Add a bit more oil (1 tsp), then add the potatoes and stir-fry until fragrant, or about 2 minutes. Add more oil if the potatoes stick to the wok. When the surface of the potatoes is golden-brown to your liking, transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Of course, they won’t be fully cooked through at this point; this stir-fry step gets some golden color and aroma on the potatoes.
Add more oil (1 tsp) and the pork. Let the pork cook undisturbed for 30-40 seconds so that the pieces can brown; then flip and brown the other side for 30-40 seconds.
If you’re using pork belly like us, you’ll see some of the pork fat render out. This is really flavorful and will help everything fry nicely. If you’re using a leaner cut of pork, use your discretion in adding a touch more oil if the meat sticks to the wok.
Add the garlic and stir-fry it together for about 20 seconds.
Turn the heat to the lowest setting, or turn it off completely. Add ground bean sauce (1 tbsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), and light soy sauce (1 tbsp). Briefly stir to distribute everything.
Bring the heat back up to medium. Add sugar (2 tsp) and stir it in to distribute.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the wok. Stir for 30 seconds to mix everything up.
Add enough boiling water (3 cup) to almost fully cover all the ingredients; they don’t need to be swimming, but they need to braise in the boiling liquid.
Cover the wok with the lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
Uncover the wok (be careful of hot, billowing steam!) and give it a taste. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. My dad added 1/2 tsp of salt (0.50 tsp).
Give everything a good stir and cover the wok again. Cook on medium heat until the potatoes have cooked through and are tender, which took 3-4 minutes for us.
Monitor the level of braising liquid; the potatoes soak up water as they cook, so you may need to add more water if the braising liquid falls too low. Add extra water in small amounts; the final dish should be nice and saucy, but not overly runny.
Check for the doneness of the potatoes. Once they are tender enough to easily pierce with a paring knife or chopstick, they’re done. Turn off the heat.
Add the red onions, green onions, and sesame oil (1 tsp). Give everything a good stir to distribute.
Transfer the braised pork and potatoes to a serving dish. Get every last drop of braising sauce; it’s divine over rice. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What meats are good for braising?
In our Braised Pork with Potatoes recipe, we use pork belly. Fattier cuts of chicken or beef also work well. To make a vegetarian version, you can use mushrooms.
Do you need to prep the potatoes overnight for braising?
No, peel and cut the potatoes when you're preparing the rest of your vegetables. Over time, your potatoes will turn an unappealing brown color due to oxidation.
Will Braised Pork and Potatoes keep in the fridge or freezer?
Keep any leftover Braised Pork and Potatoes in the refrigerator and enjoy it for the rest of the week; it'll be even more flavorful! We don't recommend freezing this as home freezers tend to negatively affect the texture of potatoes.
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Made with love ❤️
We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.
Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.