Sichuan-style twice-cooked pork recipes

Sichuan Style Twice-Cooked Pork: A Culinary Masterpiece

Twice-Cooked Pork, or *Hui Guo Rou*, is a iconic Sichuan dish celebrated for its bold flavors and tender texture. This beloved recipe transforms simple pork belly into a mouthwatering delicacy through a two-step cooking process, infused with the province’s signature spicy, savory, and aromatic notes.

Ingredients:

- 300g pork belly, boiled until tender then sliced

- 2-3 tbsp cooking oil

- 1-2 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste)

- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1-2 Sichuan peppercorns (lightly toasted)

- 1 green bell pepper, sliced

- 1 leek, cut into sections

- Garlic, ginger, and fermented black beans (optional, for depth)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Pork: Boil pork belly in water with ginger and a splash of rice wine for 20 minutes until fork-tender. Cool, then slice into thin, bite-sized pieces.

2. Stark-Fry the Pork: Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add pork slices and stir-fry until crispy and slightly golden. Remove and set aside.

3. Aromatics & Sauce: In the same wok, stir-fry doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. Toss in green pepper and leek, stir-frying for 1 minute.

4. Combine & Season: Return pork to the wok. Add soy sauce, sugar, and fermented black beans if using. Toss vigorously to coat everything evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Serve hot with steamed rice to soak up the rich, spicy sauce. The dish balances the richness of pork with the heat of doubanjiang and the freshness of vegetables, creating a harmonious explosion of flavors that defines Sichuan cuisine. Adjust spice levels by varying the amount of doubanjiang to suit your taste!