Chinese Braised Pork with Carrots and Potatoes Recipe
This homemade, hearty dish of pork braised with carrots and potatoes is a bit like a Polish goulash, but with a Chinese character thanks to soy sauce, ginger, and a hint of sweetness. In China, such one-pot dishes are popular on cooler days – they’re easy to reheat and you can feed the whole family from one big bowl.
Such braised dishes with pork, potatoes, and carrots are typical of northeastern Chinese (Dongbei) home cooking, where the cold climate calls for hearty, filling meals. They are often served in one big bowl in the middle of the table so everyone can help themselves from the thick, rich sauce.
A familiar, goulash-like comfort dish with a Chinese twist: soy sauce, ginger, and gentle sweetness turn simple pork with potatoes and carrots into something aromatic and a bit exotic, while still staying very homey and easy to make in one pot.
Why this version works
- Thoroughly browning the meat before braising builds deep flavour without needing lots of extra spices.
- The vegetables go into the pot only after the meat has had an initial braise, so they keep their shape and texture.
- Caramelised sugar adds a gentle sweetness and colour, bringing the sauce closer to Chinese home-style stews.
- The amount of liquid is calibrated so you get a thick, clingy sauce rather than a thin soup.
Chef's tips
Brown the meat well at the beginning – this step builds a lot of flavor in the final sauce. If the sauce reduces too quickly while braising, simply add a little more water or stock. For a slightly thicker, glossy sauce, you can simmer uncovered for the last 5–10 minutes.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with plenty of sauce, over steamed white rice or with wheat noodles. For contrast, add a side of crunchy pickles or sauerkraut, or a simple cucumber salad with vinegar. Sprinkle generously with fresh chives or spring onion just before serving.
Watch out for
- Do not add the meat to oil that isn’t properly hot, or it will start to stew in its own juices instead of browning.
- Don’t cut the potatoes too small – tiny cubes will break down quickly and turn the sauce into a purée.
- Don’t completely cover the ingredients with water; the liquid should come to about two-thirds of the height of the meat and vegetables.
Substitutions
- You can replace rice vinegar with mild apple cider vinegar, reducing the amount by about one-third.
- You can swap pork shoulder or neck for pork leg, extending the braising time by a few minutes.
- For deeper flavour, replace part of the water with beef or chicken stock.
Ingredients
- pork shoulder or pork neck cut into cubes about 2 cm - 500 g
- potatoes peeled, cut into larger cubes - 400 g
- carrot cut into thick slices - 2 piece
- onion medium, sliced into feathers - 1 piece
- garlic chopped - 3 clove
- fresh ginger piece about 3 cm, grated - 15 g
- soy sauce - 4 tablespoon
- sugar - 1 tablespoon
- rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- water or stock - 400 ml
- oil for frying - 2 tablespoon
- bay leaf optional - 1 piece
- black pepper to taste
- chives chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoon
Preparation
- Pat the meat dry thoroughly with paper towels and cut into cubes about 2 cm. Peel the potatoes and cut into larger cubes of a similar size, slice the carrot into thick half-moons or batons, slice the onion into thin wedges or dice it, finely chop the garlic, and peel and grate the ginger.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over fairly high heat. Add the pork in a single layer and fry for 6–8 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes, until the pieces are well browned and a dark fond forms on the bottom; the meat should be loudly sizzling, not sitting in a puddle of juices.
- Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes, until it softens, turns translucent, and starts to brown in spots. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about 1 minute, until very fragrant but still pale; if they begin to brown, immediately reduce the heat.
- Sprinkle in the sugar and fry for about 1 minute, stirring, until it melts and coats the meat in a shiny layer. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, and water or stock, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom so the sauce becomes evenly dark and slightly thicker.
- Add the bay leaf, bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 20 minutes. The meat should be noticeably more tender when pierced with a fork, and the kitchen should smell strongly of soy sauce and ginger.
- After 20 minutes, add the potatoes and carrot, and stir well so the vegetables are partially submerged in the sauce. If needed, add a splash of water, but the liquid should not completely cover the ingredients; cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes and carrot are soft but not starting to fall apart.
- If the sauce is too thin at the end, uncover the pot and cook for 5–10 minutes over medium heat, stirring every few minutes. The sauce is ready when it has thickened slightly and coats the meat and vegetables in a thin, glossy layer instead of running off like water.
- Remove the bay leaf, taste the sauce, and season with freshly ground pepper and, if needed, a little salt, keeping in mind how salty the soy sauce is. Serve hot in bowls, sprinkled with chopped chives – on its own or with rice, grains, or a slice of bread for mopping up the sauce.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have had time to meld. It’s perfect for making a big batch on the weekend and reheating for quick weekday dinners.
