Hui Guo Rou — Twice-Cooked Pork

Ingredients

• 500g skinless pork belly, in one piece
• For simmering: 3 slices fresh ginger
• 2 spring onions, cut in half
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp Pixian chilli bean paste (doubanjiang)
• 1 tbsp sweet bean sauce (tian mian jiang)
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and lightly mashed
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 leeks (about 250g), sliced on the diagonal
• 1 green pepper, cut into strips
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

Method

1. Put the pork in a pan with the ginger, spring onions, Sichuan peppercorns and Shaoxing wine. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 25 minutes, until just cooked through.

2. Lift out the pork and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Chill it for 30 minutes if you can, as firm pork is much easier to slice. Slice as thinly as possible, about 3mm.

3. Heat a dry wok over a medium-high heat. Add the pork slices and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the fat renders and the edges curl and brown. Push to the side.

4. Add the oil to the cleared space, then fry the chilli bean paste, sweet bean sauce and black beans for 1 minute until the oil is red and fragrant. Add the garlic and stir for 20 seconds.

5. Add the leeks and green pepper, increase the heat and stir-fry for 2 minutes until just softened but still bright.

6. Add the soy sauce, sugar and Shaoxing wine and toss everything together for 1 minute. Serve at once with steamed rice.