Tender yet crispy pork slices flavoured with fermented seasonings, twice cooked pork is a mouth-watering Chinese delicacy. This recipe provides many tips on how to achieve the best flavour and texture.
Place pork belly and ginger into a pan. Pour in enough water to cover the meat. Bring the water to a full boil. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 30 mins (see note 4).
Drain the pork then put it into a bowl of cold water. Once it’s cool enough to touch, cut it crosswise into thin slices.
Stir-fry the dish
Heat the wok over high heat until it starts to smoke (See note 5 if you’re using a non-stick wok). Pour in oil and add pork belly pieces.
Stir constantly to sear the meat. Once it lightly browns, transfer to a plate but leave all the oil in the wok.
Turn the heat to low. Add Sichuan chili bean paste, fermented black beans and garlic to the oil. Sizzle for 30 seconds or so.
Turn up the heat to high. Put the pork slices back into the wok. Add leek, fresh chili, Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce and sugar. Stir fry until the leek and chili start to wilt (but still a little crunchy). Dish out and serve immediately.
Notes
1. Sichuan chili bean paste (aka spicy Doubanjiang): Different brands may vary in saltiness, hotness and texture. Adjust the quantity accordingly. If possible, I recommend you purchase “Hot Broad Bean Paste (红油豆瓣)” which is the chilli oil version of Pixian Dou Ban, the most reputable variety of this condiment (More info can be found in the post content above).2. Fermented black beans: Choose the dried version instead of the one in brine. Rinse under water to remove excess salt and chop them before cooking if you wish.3. Vegetables: The traditional recipe calls for green garlic (Suan Miao/蒜苗) so please feel free to use it if available. Sliced celery can also be used as a substitute.4. Boil the meat: The cooking time may vary depending on the size of your pork belly. Insert chopsticks to check. They should be able to go through the meat with a little resistance.5. Using a non-stick wok: Please be aware that you’re not supposed to heat non-stick wok when empty. Instead, pour the oil into your wok then turn on the heat. When the oil starts to smoke, add the pork.