Twice-Cooked Pork is considered the “ultimate home-style dish” in Sichuan cuisine. The pork slices are pan-fried until they curl into little “lantern cups,” then tossed with garlic sprouts and fermented broad bean paste. Bring it to the table glistening and red—it goes perfectly with rice and will have you asking for seconds. It’s warming and satisfying for autumn and winter.
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 3–4
🌴 Ingredients:
· Pork hind leg (Er Dao Rou) or pork belly, 400g (about 14 oz; ask the butcher for pork leg with a bit of fat, or use skin-on pork belly; boiled as a whole block)
· Garlic sprouts (green garlic), 4–5 stalks (about 100g; cut diagonally into segments, keeping the white and green parts separate)
· Green bell pepper, 1 (about 100g; cut into chunks, optional)
🌴 Aromatics:
· Sliced ginger, 3–4 slices (about 10g)
· Scallion stalks, 2 (about 20g, cut into segments)
· Cooking wine, 1 tbsp (about 15ml; for boiling the pork)
· Sichuan peppercorns, a small pinch (about 1g; for boiling the pork)
🌴 Seasonings:
· Pixian broad bean paste (Doubanjiang), 1½ tbsp (about 25g; finely minced)
· Fermented black beans (Douchi), 1 tsp (about 5g; slightly crushed)
· Sweet bean sauce (Tianmianjiang), ½ tbsp (about 7.5g; if unavailable, use hoisin sauce or a mix of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar)
· Light soy sauce, 1 tbsp (about 15ml)
· Sugar, ½ tsp (about 2.5g)
· Minced garlic, 2 cloves (about 10g)
· Minced ginger, 1 small piece (about 5g)
· Cooking oil, 1 tbsp (about 15ml)
All spoon measures are level. Light soy sauce is thin and salty; sweet bean sauce is thick and slightly sweet—use them as listed for the best color and flavor.
🌴 Instructions:
- Boil the Pork
Place the whole block of pork in a pot with cold water. Add the ginger slices, scallion segments, cooking wine, and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and boil for 15–20 minutes, until a chopstick can pierce through easily. Remove and let it cool completely, then cut into thin slices about 2–3mm (⅛ inch). ⚠️ Tip: Let the meat cool before slicing—it falls apart if sliced while hot. Cut it thinly so it curls into “lantern cups” when pan-fried. - Prepare the Ingredients
Cut the garlic sprouts diagonally into segments, keeping the white and green parts separate. Cut the green bell pepper into chunks. Finely mince the broad bean paste and fermented black beans. ⚠️ Tip: Mincing the broad bean paste helps release the red oil more thoroughly and prevents biting into whole beans. - Pan-fry the Pork
Heat the wok and add 1 tbsp cooking oil. Add the pork slices and stir-fry over medium heat until they curl slightly and the edges turn golden, rendering out excess fat (the fat shrinks and releases clear oil). Remove and set aside. ⚠️ Tip: Don’t fry them too dry—slight curling is enough. Over-frying makes the meat tough. - Fry the Sauce
Leave the base oil in the wok. Add the minced broad bean paste, fermented black beans, minced ginger, and minced garlic. Stir-fry over low heat until the red oil releases and it smells fragrant (the oil turns a bright red color). Add the sweet bean sauce, light soy sauce, and sugar, and stir until evenly combined. ⚠️ Tip: Keep the heat low throughout—broad bean paste burns easily. Add the sweet bean sauce last, as it burns quickly if added too early. - Combine and Stir-fry
Return the pan-fried pork slices to the wok and stir-fry over high heat until every slice is coated in the sauce. Add the white parts of the garlic sprouts and the green bell pepper first, stir-frying until slightly softened. Then add the green garlic leaves, toss a few times, and turn off the heat. ⚠️ Tip: Add the green garlic leaves last and turn off the heat after a few tosses—the residual heat is enough. Cooking them too long makes them wilt. High heat and quick tossing give the dish its “wok hei” (charred aroma). - Plate and Serve
Transfer to a plate and serve hot—it’s best with a bowl of white rice.
💡 Tips:
Boiling the pork with Sichuan peppercorns and cooking wine removes any smell and adds aroma. Let the meat cool before slicing it thinly. Mince the broad bean paste and black beans, and stir-fry over low heat to release the red oil. Pan-fry the pork just until it curls slightly—don’t dry it out. Stir-fry over high heat, adding the garlic whites and green pepper first, and the garlic leaves last for just a few tosses. Done this way, the dish is glossy and red, rich but not greasy, and perfect with rice!
This Twice-Cooked Pork is a classic Sichuan home-style dish—savory, slightly spicy, and incredibly satisfying with rice. If you like this spicy, flavorful style, you can also try my previously posted Stir-fried Beef with Chili Peppers (Stir-fried Beef with Chili Peppers). For more classic rice-killer dishes, check out my Home-style Dishes (Home-style Dishes) category.
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