Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou, 回锅肉)

Method7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the whole 300 g pork belly and all five ginger slices in a pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Check that the meat is fully cooked: chopsticks should pass through with a little resistance, and its center must reach at least 63 °C (145 °F). Continue simmering if necessary.

   Check the cooked pork belly · 30 minUses 300 g pork belly, in one piece · 5 slices ginger · Water as needed to cover the pork for simmering

2. 2

   Step 2: Lift the cooked pork belly from step 1 onto a clean plate and let it rest off the heat for at least 3 minutes before cooling and slicing. Discard the simmering water and ginger.

   Finish the pork rest · 3 minUses cooked pork belly lifted from the ginger-water pan

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Put the rested pork from step 2 briefly into cold water. As soon as it is comfortable to handle, lift it out, discard the water and pat the surface dry. Cut it crosswise into thin slices, about 4 mm for a moderately fatty piece, then pat the slices dry again. Slice the garlic, leek and chilies and have the seasonings ready. If desired, rinse the measured fermented beans, drain and chop them.

   Uses rested cooked pork belly · Cold water as needed to briefly cool the cooked pork · Water as needed if rinsing the fermented beans

   
4. 4

   Step 4: For a carbon-steel wok, heat it over high heat until just smoking, then add all 2 tsp cooking oil. For a nonstick wok, put the oil in before heating the pan. Add the dry cooked pork slices from step 3 and begin stir-frying.

   Uses 2 teaspoon cooking oil · All the cooled, sliced and thoroughly dried pork

5. 5

   Step 5: Stir the pork and oil from step 4 constantly until the slices lightly brown. Transfer the pork to a plate, leaving all the cooking oil and rendered pork fat in the wok.

   Uses cooked pork slices in the hot oiled wok

6. 6

   Step 6: Reduce the wok from step 5 to low heat. Add the 1 tbsp Sichuan chili bean paste, 1 tbsp fermented black beans and three sliced garlic cloves to the oil left in the wok. Sizzle for about 30 seconds, stirring so the seasonings become fragrant without burning.

   Return the pork and add vegetables · 1 minUses The oil left after lifting the browned pork onto its plate · 1 tbsp Sichuan chili bean paste · 1 tbsp dried fermented black beans (douchi) · 3 cloves garlic, sliced

7. 7

   Step 7: Turn the heat up to high. Return the plated browned pork from step 5 to the fragrant seasoning pan from step 6. Add all the sliced leek (1) and two chilies, 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tsp light soy sauce and one pinch sugar. Stir-fry until the vegetables just begin to wilt but remain a little crunchy and everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately, with the separately prepared rice if using.

   Uses All the browned pork separated from the oil in step 5 · fragrant bean-paste, black-bean and garlic oil · 1 small leek, cut diagonally · 2 fresh red chili peppers, cut diagonally · 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine · 1 teaspoon light soy sauce · 1 pinch sugar · Ready cooked rice for serving, optional