Twice Cooked Pork 回鍋肉

Like its name, this dish requires two cooking processes. First boil the pork belly then cook it again by stir frying to intensify flavors. I love this dish prepared in Sichuan style. Anything with Sichuan means spicy. So be ready for it. It is perfect for the winter to warm up your stomach with a bowl of porridge for breakfast or over rice for lunch and dinner. Non-spicy versions of Broad Bean Sauces are available at your local Chinese supermarkets.

- YU TSAI

by YU TSAI SERVES  4 PREP TIME  30 MIN COOKS IN  15 MIN DIFFICULTY  MEDIUM

photo by Yu Tsai

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) pork belly

1 teaspoon cooking oil

2 stalks scallions

5 cloves garlic

2 thumbs ginger

8 to 10 red Sichuan peppercorns

1 1/2 bunches Chinese chives cut into 3 inch pieces

1 sweet onion cut up in large pieces

6 large red chili peppers (deseeded)

6 large green chili peppers (deseeded)

1 1/2 tablespoons Sichuan style Broad Bean Sauce, Dou Ban Jiang (use less for less spicy) non Sichuan style available

3 teaspoons fermented black beans

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 bundle scallions

Instructions

  1. Place the whole pork belly in a soup pot. Fill with water just enough to cover the whole pork. Turn on high heat and boil for 30 minutes with two stalks of scallions.

  2. Transfer pork to dry and cool down. Cut into thick slices and set aside.

  3. Cut open red and green peppers and remove the seeds. Slice them into strips.

  4. Add oil into a hot wok. With medium high heat, stir fry pork belly for 2 minutes until lightly brown on both sides.

  5. Remove pork belly from wok.

  6. In the same wok with medium heat, fragrant ginger, garlic, scallions and sweet onion.

  7. Add Dou Ban Jiang and fermented black beans and toss for 45 seconds.

  8. Add pork belly and stir fry with the sauces to evenly coat.

  9. Add red and green pepper strips. Toss for 1 minute.

  10. Add Chinese chives and light soy sauce, cook for 1 minute. Toss to combine and remove from wok to prevent overcooking the Chinese chives.

Serve over steamed rice and enjoy.

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