AI-generated photo.
Chinese · Iconic, Hangzhou · China
Dongpo pork
Also called 东坡肉
Dongpo pork (东坡肉), a Hangzhou plate from China.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Dongpo pork is cooked in Hangzhou as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Brown the pork and braise it in wine, soy, and sugar until it glosses. Belly is the Hangzhou cut. Tenderloin, cooked in the same wine and sugar, is the pork this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
75
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 56%
- Carbs 18%
- Fat 26%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 34.8 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 1089 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Watch · Pregnancy caution
Alcohol, liver, caffeine, a higher-mercury fish, or a soft cheese is in the required list.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Watch · Kid-friendly
Alcohol or liver is in the required list.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Pork tenderloin174 kcal
- Toasted sesame oil31 kcal
- Brown sugar29 kcal
- Shaoxing wine24 kcal
- Soy sauce5 kcal
- Fresh ginger4 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 7.2. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 273 kcal. Two portions would be about 546 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Gluten, Sesame, Soy, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 273 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 273 kcal | 14% |
| Protein | 34.8 g | 70% |
| Carbohydrate | 10.9 g | 4% |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 3% |
| Total sugars | 7.8 g | 16% |
| Fat | 7.2 g | 9% |
| Saturated fat | 1.6 g | 8% |
| Cholesterol | 104 mg | 35% |
| Sodium | 1089 mg | 47% |
| Potassium | 740 mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 26 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1.9 mg | 11% |
| Magnesium | 55 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 3.2 mg | 29% |
| Vitamin A | 5 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2.1 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin E | 0.5 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 21 mcg | 18% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.6 mg | 134% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.6 mg | 44% |
| Niacin (B3) | 11 mg | 69% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 mg | 75% |
| Folate | 8 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.8 mcg | 34% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium is on the higher side. The swaps below pull it down.
- Contains alcohol. Skip it in pregnancy and whenever you avoid alcohol, or use the swap.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot with a lid
- Scale
- Tongs
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Pork tenderloin4 pieces640 g
Shaoxing wine0.33 cup80 ml
Soy sauce2 tbsp34.78 ml
Brown sugar2 tbsp30 g
Scallion4 stalks40 g
Fresh ginger4 slices20 g
Star anise2 pods2 g
Cinnamon stick1 stick2 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp15.22 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Dongpo pork. Heat to 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh pork tenderloin, shaoxing wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, scallion, fresh ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, kosher salt, toasted sesame oil. Dongpo pork is cooked in Hangzhou as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Brown the pork and braise it in wine, soy, and sugar until it glosses. Belly is the Hangzhou cut. Tenderloin, cooked in the same wine and sugar, is the pork this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Dongpo pork is cooked in china. Also called 东坡肉. Scrape the browned bits up with the liquid. That fond is the sauce.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Dongpo pork, until the edges take a little color. Braise with the liquid halfway up the food, not drowning it.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Dongpo pork at 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove. Start checking at 85 minutes. Dongpo pork is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Braise 85 min
- 🇨🇳 ChinaEast Asiaicon-china-dongpo-pork-step-4
Dongpo pork, step 5
Step 5 · Dongpo pork
5Check the center of Dongpo pork, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇨🇳 ChinaEast Asiaicon-china-dongpo-pork-step-5
Dongpo pork, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Dongpo pork for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in china, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Dongpo pork in this shot order and no other: batter or dough smoothed to the corners; a colander and a cloud of steam; cheese melting only after the boil stops; aromatics softening without color. Slate words for the editor: undercrust, jasper, willow, ladle, bronzed, simmer, jute, zestline, marble, apron.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Dongpo pork is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Dongpo pork looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Dongpo pork turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Dongpo pork, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Dongpo pork is one of the plates people ask for by name from Hangzhou.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Brown the pork and braise it in wine, soy, and sugar until it glosses. Belly is the Hangzhou cut. Tenderloin, cooked in the same wine and sugar, is the pork this pantry weighs.
Allergens in the required list: Gluten, Sesame, Soy, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.