Twice-Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)

Ingredients

• skin-on pork belly, in one piece500 g
• fresh ginger, sliced4 slices
• scallion, smashed2
• Sichuan peppercorns1 tsp
• Shaoxing wine2 tbsp
• Pixian doubanjiang (broad bean chili paste)1.5 tbsp
• sweet bean paste (tianmianjiang)1 tbsp
• fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed1 tsp
• garlic, sliced3 cloves
• garlic shoots or leeks, cut on bias150 g
• light soy sauce1 tsp
• sugar1 tsp
• neutral oil1 tbsp

Steps

1. 1

   Simmer pork belly with aromatics.

   Place pork belly in cold water with ginger, scallion, peppercorns, and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes until a chopstick slides cleanly through.

2. 2

   Plunge pork belly into ice water.

   Lift the belly out, plunge into ice water, then refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes to firm.

3. 3

   Slice chilled pork belly thinly.

   Slice the chilled belly into 3 mm sheets, keeping the skin-fat-meat layers intact.

4. 4

   Render pork belly slices in wok.

   Heat a dry wok over medium-high. Add the belly slices and render for 3 minutes until edges curl into shallow cups and fat puddles out.

5. 5

   Stir-fry doubanjiang and spices.

   Push pork aside. Add 1 tbsp oil, then doubanjiang, sweet bean paste, douchi, and garlic. Stir-fry 45 seconds until the oil flushes red.

6. 6

   Toss pork in chili oil mixture.

   Toss pork through the chili oil, splash in remaining Shaoxing wine, soy, and sugar.

7. 7

   Add garlic shoots and stir-fry.

   Add garlic shoots and stir-fry 60 seconds until just wilted but still snappy. Serve with steamed rice.