Twice-Cooked Pork

Twice-Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)

A Sichuan classic in which pork belly is first simmered until tender, then sliced thin and stir-fried with leeks, broad bean chilli paste and fermented black beans so the edges curl and crisp in the rendered fat.

Prep

20 min

Cook

50 min

Total

70 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) pork belly, skin on, a single slab with even layers of fat and lean
• •2 g (2 tsp) ginger slices
• •2 spring onions spring onions, smashed, white parts only for the simmer
• •1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• •2 g (1 oz) Pixian doubanjiang (broad bean chilli paste), chopped; do not substitute with Korean gochujang
• •1 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed and lightly crushed
• •20 g (¾ oz) garlic, about 4 cloves, finely chopped
• •15 g (½ oz) ginger, 1 small piece, finely chopped
• •1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little extra if the pork renders little fat
• •1 tsp dark soy sauce, for colour
• •1 tsp light soy sauce, for seasoning
• •1 tsp sugar, optional, to balance
• •300 g (10½ oz) leek, Chinese leek (jiu cai) preferred; sliced into 5 cm / 2 in lengths and white/green parts separated
• •1 red pepper red chilli, optional, for colour and mild heat; sliced
• •125 ml (½ cup) stock or pork cooking liquid

Steps

1. 1 Place the pork belly in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, drain and rinse the pork and the pot to remove scum and off-flavours.
2. 2 Return the pork to the pot, add cold water to cover by 2 cm / 1 in, then add the smashed ginger, the white parts of the spring onions and the Shaoxing wine. Bring to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for 35–45 minutes, until a chopstick slides into the thickest part with no resistance. Internal temperature should read at least 75°C / 165°F.
3. 3 Lift the pork out and set aside to cool completely, then chill if time allows: a cold slab slices far more cleanly. Reserve the cooking liquid.
4. 4 Once cool, slice the pork across the grain into pieces about 3 mm / ⅛ in thick, roughly 6 cm / 2½ in long. The slices should be thin enough to curl in the wok.
5. 5 Bring the leek slices briefly to the boil in a small pot of water (about 30 seconds), then drain and set aside. This tames their pungency and ensures they finish cooking at the same time as the pork.
6. 6 Heat a seasoned wok over medium-high until it just smokes, add the 1 tbsp oil and swirl. Add the sliced pork in a single layer and stir-fry until the fat renders, the slices turn pale gold at the edges and the edges start to curl, 3–4 minutes. Push to one side.
7. 7 Add a little more oil if needed, then add the chopped garlic, chopped ginger and the doubanjiang. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until the oil turns a deep red and smells aromatic, watching carefully as chilli paste burns easily.
8. 8 Add the fermented black beans and the optional red chilli and stir for 30 seconds.
9. 9 Pour in the stock, add the dark soy, light soy and sugar, and toss to combine. Simmer 1–2 minutes so the pork absorbs the seasoning and the liquid reduces to a glossy coating that just clings to the meat.
10. 10 Add the leeks (white parts first, then the green tops a moment later) and toss just until wilted but still bright and crisp-tender, about 1 minute.
11. 11 Taste and adjust with a little more light soy if needed. Serve immediately with steamed rice.