Cola Braised Pork Belly
Using cola in a braise might sound a little strange at first, but trust me — it’s one of the best cooking cheats out there! Instead of fussing with melting sugar and worrying if it’ll burn, the Coke does all the work for you. As the pork belly simmers, the soda slowly works its magic — tenderizing the meat, giving the sauce that deep glossy color, and adding just the right balance of sweet and savory. The flavor ends up rich and comforting with a subtle caramel note blending perfectly with soy sauce, ginger, and spices. The best part? It feels like you’ve put in hours of effort, when really, it’s as simple as cracking open a can of Coke. Serve it with plenty of rice, because you’ll definitely want to spoon up every last drop of sauce!
Why Use Coke in Braised Pork Belly
So why Coke? It’s not just for drinking — it’s actually one of the best shortcuts in the kitchen. The sugar in Coke helps caramelize the pork belly as it cooks, giving the sauce that beautiful deep brown color and glossy finish. It also balances out the salty soy sauce and savory aromatics, so you end up with a sauce that’s rich but never too heavy. On top of that, Coke has just enough acidity to help tenderize the meat, which means the pork turns melt-in-your-mouth soft without any extra effort. And if you’re using Coke Zero (like I always do), add rock sugar to get the same effect — the sweetness is what really ties the whole dish together!
Ingredients
1 lb Pork belly, sliced
- 1 can of Coke
- 2 tbsp Rock sugar (if not using full-sugar Coke)
2 tbsp Light soy sauce
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tbsp Cooking wine
1 Bay leaf
2 Star anise
1 tsp White pepper
1 tsp Five spice powder
3 slices Ginger
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Hard-boiled eggs
Step by step instructions
1. Prep the aromatics & eggs
Slice the ginger and mince the garlic. Hard boil 2 eggs and peel so they are ready to add later.
2. Slice the pork belly
Cut the pork belly into roughly 2-inch pieces — anything smaller will mostly disappear during the braise, so keep them chunky for texture and presence in the dish.
3. Pan-fry the pork
Heat a pan and sear the pork pieces until nicely browned on all sides (this builds a lot of flavor), about 5 minutes. Aim for a good golden crust — don’t rush this step.
4. Add aromatics and sugar
Toss in the ginger and garlic and add the rock sugar if you’re using it. Cook just until the sugar has started to melt and the aromatics are fragrant.
5. Add the remaining seasonings and the Coke
Pour in the rest of the seasonings — the soy sauces, oyster sauce, cooking wine, spices (bay leaf, star anise, white pepper, five-spice), and the can of Coke. Bring everything up to a gentle simmer so the flavors start to blend.
6. Add the eggs
Nestle the hard-boiled eggs into the braise so they can soak up flavor while the pork finishes cooking.
7. Cover and simmer
Put the lid on and cook over medium-low heat until the pork is tender and the sauce has thickened and glazed the meat (about 25 minutes). Turn or spoon the sauce over the pork once or twice so everything cooks evenly.
8. Finish and serve
Remove the bay leaf and star anise. Spoon the pork, sauce, and eggs over steamed rice and serve hot — you’ll want extra rice to mop up that glossy sauce!
Cola Braised Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pork belly, sliced
- 1 can Coke
- 2 tbsp Rock sugar (if not using full-sugar Coke)
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Cooking wine
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Star anise
- 1 tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Five spice powder
- 3 slices Ginger
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Hard boiled eggs
Instructions
- Prep the aromatics & eggs: Slice the ginger and mince the garlic. Hard boil 2 eggs and peel so they are ready to add later.
- Slice the pork belly: Cut the pork belly into roughly 2-inch pieces — anything smaller will mostly disappear during the braise, so keep them chunky for texture and presence in the dish.
- Pan-fry the pork: Heat a pan and sear the pork pieces until nicely browned on all sides (this builds a lot of flavor), about 5 minutes. Aim for a good golden crust — don’t rush this step.
- Add aromatics and sugar: Toss in the ginger and garlic and add the rock sugar if you’re using it. Cook just until the sugar has started to melt and the aromatics are fragrant.
- Add the remaining seasonings and the Coke: Pour in the rest of the seasonings — the soy sauces, oyster sauce, cooking wine, spices (bay leaf, star anise, white pepper, five-spice), and the can of Coke. Bring everything up to a gentle simmer so the flavors start to blend.
- Add the eggs: Nestle the hard-boiled eggs into the braise so they can soak up flavor while the pork finishes cooking.
- Cover and simmer: Put the lid on and cook over medium-low heat until the pork is tender and the sauce has thickened and glazed the meat (about 25 minutes). Turn or spoon the sauce over the pork once or twice so everything cooks evenly.
- Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaf and star anise. Spoon the pork, sauce, and eggs over steamed rice and serve hot — you’ll want extra rice to mop up that glossy sauce!