東坡肉的傳奇，始于北宋文豪蘇東坡的“跨界廚神”人生。元豐三年（1080年），他被貶黃州，見豬肉價賤卻少有人會烹，便以“慢著火，少著水，火候足時他自美”的智慧，創出這道紅燒肉。后來他在杭州疏浚西湖，百姓感恩饋贈豬肉，他便將改良后的佳肴分予民工，從此“東坡肉”名震江南。

The legend of Dongpo Pork began with the Northern Song Dynasty literary giant Su Dongpo, who was also a "cross-border culinary genius". In 1080, during the third year of the Yuanfeng era, he was exiled to Huangzhou, where he noticed pork was cheap but few could cook it well. Using his wisdom, he created this braised pork dish by "slow cooking, using little water, and letting the fire do the work," resulting in a dish full of flavor. Later, while dredging West Lake in Hangzhou, the locals, in gratitude, gifted him pork, and he improved the dish, distributing it to laborers, making "Dongpo Pork" famous throughout Jiangnan.

主料只需五花肉（以“三肥三瘦四成皮”為佳），輔以黃酒（或花雕）、冰糖、老抽、蔥姜。關鍵在“煨”：

The key ingredients include pork belly (preferably with "three parts fat, three parts lean, and four parts skin"), yellow wine (or Hua Diao), rock sugar, dark soy sauce, spring onions, and ginger. The key is to "simmer":

焯水去腥：冷水下肉，煮沸撇沫，肉質緊實不腥；

Blanching to remove the smell: Boil pork in cold water, skim off impurities, which keeps the meat firm and free of smell;

炒糖上色：冰糖小火化開，待呈琥珀色時下肉翻炒，掛上晶瑩糖衣；

Caramelizing sugar for color: Slowly melt rock sugar until amber, then stir-fry the pork in it, coating it with a glossy sugar glaze;

慢火封鮮：砂鍋鋪蔥姜，肉皮朝下碼放，注入黃酒與調料，大火燒開后轉文火煨1.5至2小時。火候足時，肉皮糯如凝脂，肥肉化作透亮“瓊脂”，瘦肉酥而不柴，湯汁濃稠掛盞。

Slow cooking to seal in freshness: Place ginger and onions in a clay pot, lay the pork skin-side down, add yellow wine and seasonings, and cook over high heat until boiling, then simmer on low heat for 1.5–2 hours. When cooked perfectly, the skin becomes tender like jelly, the fat turns into clear "gelatin", the lean meat is soft, and the sauce is thick and clings to the pork.

上桌時肉塊整齊碼放，淋上濃汁，色澤紅亮似瑪瑙。入口先是酒香裹著冰糖的清甜，繼而肉香醇厚，肥肉入口即化，瘦肉纖維吸飽醬汁，連湯汁拌飯都令人回味。

Served, the pork is arranged neatly, topped with thick sauce, shining red like agate. The flavor starts with the sweet aroma of wine and sugar, followed by rich pork flavor, with the fat melting in the mouth, and the lean meat soaking up the sauce, making the dish unforgettable, especially when served with rice.

責編：易卓