Twice-Cooked Pork is the undisputed king of Sichuan cuisine. The pork belly is boiled first, then sliced and stir-fried until the fat renders out. Combined with garlic sprouts, doubanjiang, and fermented black beans, it’s savory, spicy, and incredibly flavorful. Each slice is coated in a rich sauce, making it the perfect match for steamed rice.
🌴 Ingredients:
· 400g pork belly (whole piece)
· 1 bunch of garlic sprouts (cut diagonally into segments)
🌴 Aromatics:
· 3 slices of ginger
· 1 stalk of scallion (cut into segments)
· A small pinch of Sichuan peppercorns
· 2 cloves minced garlic
· A small piece of minced ginger
· 1 tbsp fermented black beans (about 15g, chopped, the soul of the dish)
🌴 Seasonings:
· 1.5 tbsp doubanjiang (Pixian broad bean paste, about 20g, the soul of the dish)
· 1 tbsp sweet bean sauce (about 10g, for aroma)
· 1 tbsp light soy sauce (about 10ml)
· A pinch of sugar (to enhance flavor)
· 1 tbsp cooking wine (about 10ml, for boiling)
· Cooking oil, as needed
🌴 Instructions:
- Boil the Pork
Place the pork belly in a pot of cold water with ginger, scallion, Sichuan peppercorns, and cooking wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes until a chopstick can easily pierce through the meat. Remove and let cool. ⚠️ Note: Never overcook it, or the meat will be too soft and crumble when sliced. - Slice the Pork
Cut the cooled pork belly into thin slices, as thin as possible. Cut the garlic sprouts diagonally into segments. ⚠️ Note: Make sure the meat is completely cool before slicing, or it will fall apart. - Stir-fry the Pork
Heat a little oil in a pan, add the pork slices, and stir-fry over medium heat until they curl slightly and the fat renders out. Remove and set aside. ⚠️ Note: Don’t use high heat, or the pork will burn. I’ve tried it, and the meat turned dry and tough. - Stir-fry the Sauce
Add a little oil to the pan, add the doubanjiang, fermented black beans, and sweet bean sauce, and stir-fry over low heat until the oil turns red and fragrant. Add the minced garlic and ginger, and continue to stir-fry. ⚠️ Note: Cook the doubanjiang and black beans over low heat; high heat will burn them and make the whole dish bitter. - Combine and Serve
Turn to high heat, add the pork slices, light soy sauce, and a pinch of sugar. Stir-fry quickly to combine. Add the garlic sprouts and stir-fry until just tender. Serve. ⚠️ Note: Add the garlic sprouts at the end to keep them green and crisp.
💡 More Spicy and Irresistible Favorites:
If you enjoy this twice-cooked pork, you should also try my [Mapo Tofu] for another incredibly flavorful and satisfying dish.
Want to explore more? Check out my full [Main Dishes] category!
💡 Tips:
The key to Twice-Cooked Pork is “curled meat slices, savory and spicy flavor.” Boil the pork first, then slice it as thin as possible. Render the fat over medium heat for maximum aroma. Cook the doubanjiang and fermented black beans over low heat to prevent burning. Add the garlic sprouts at the very end.
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