东坡肉的传奇，始于北宋文豪苏东坡的“跨界厨神”人生。元丰三年（1080年），他被贬黄州，见猪肉价贱却少有人会烹，便以“慢着火，少著水，火候足时他自美”的智慧，创出这道红烧肉。后来他在杭州疏浚西湖，百姓感恩馈赠猪肉，他便将改良后的佳肴分予民工，从此“东坡肉”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”为佳），辅以黄酒（或花雕）、冰糖、老抽、葱姜。关键在“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，肉质紧实不腥；
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：冰糖小火化开，待呈琥珀色时下肉翻炒，挂上晶莹糖衣；
Caramelizing sugar for color: Slowly melt rock sugar until amber, then stir-fry the pork in it, coating it with a glossy sugar glaze;
慢火封鲜：砂锅铺葱姜，肉皮朝下码放，注入黄酒与调料，大火烧开后转文火煨1.5至2小时。火候足时，肉皮糯如凝脂，肥肉化作透亮“琼脂”，瘦肉酥而不柴，汤汁浓稠挂盏。
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.
上桌时肉块整齐码放，淋上浓汁，色泽红亮似玛瑙。入口先是酒香裹着冰糖的清甜，继而肉香醇厚，肥肉入口即化，瘦肉纤维吸饱酱汁，连汤汁拌饭都令人回味。
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.
责编：易卓
