8. Lao Beijing Claypot Boiled Pork (Sha Guo Bai Rou)
Overview:
Lao Beijing Sha Guo Bai Rou is a traditional Beijing-style dish featuring tender slices of boiled pork belly or shoulder served in a clear, aromatic broth. Originating from Qing Dynasty imperial banquets, it later became a beloved comfort food among Beijing locals. The most authentic version is famously prepared by Sha Guo Ju, a historic restaurant that has specialized in this dish for over 270 years.
The dish is built in layers inside a traditional earthenware clay pot: first, a bed of fermented sour cabbage (suan cai) lines the bottom, followed by rehydrated sweet potato starch noodles, and then paper-thin slices of chilled, pre-boiled pork—carefully arranged to ensure even heating. Hot pork bone broth, lightly seasoned with ginger and scallions, is poured over the top, and the pot is gently simmered over low heat for 10–15 minutes. The result is a crystal-clear broth, rich yet clean-tasting, with meat so tender it melts on the tongue—succulent but never greasy.
A key step in traditional preparation is refrigerating the boiled pork before slicing, which firms up the fat and allows for ultra-thin, uniform cuts that hold their shape during reheating.
The dish is always served with a custom dipping sauce blended from sesame paste, chili oil, fermented tofu (fu ru), and chive flower sauce (jiu cai hua). Diners often personalize it further with additions like garlic paste or aged rice vinegar to suit their taste.
To prevent boiling over, chefs leave ample space at the top of the clay pot—a subtle but essential detail of the craft. While modern versions now offer lower-fat, reduced-sodium recipes to meet contemporary health preferences, they still honor the slow-simmered technique that creates the dish’s deep, layered flavor and comforting warmth.
More than just a meal, Sha Guo Bai Rou embodies the quiet elegance of old Beijing cuisine—where simplicity, patience, and respect for ingredients yield profound satisfaction.