Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou, 回锅肉)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
35 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
2 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou, 回锅肉)
Description
Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou, 回锅肉) is a classic Sichuan dish centered on pork belly that is first simmered with ginger to render it tender and then sliced thinly for a second cooking. The pork is stir-fried in its own rendered oil with the distinctive flavors of Sichuan chili bean paste and fermented black beans, adding depth and umami. Fresh garlic, leek, and sliced red chili peppers contribute fresh pungency and heat, balanced with a hint of light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, and a pinch of sugar for balance.
The texture contrasts tender pork with slightly crisped edges from the stir-fry, complemented by the aromatic and spicy sauce coating each slice. The use of fermented black beans adds a unique savory complexity, while fresh ingredients provide brightness. The careful preparation—boiling then slicing and drying the pork to control moisture—ensures safety and flavor development.
This dish is best served hot as part of a meal, pairing well with steamed rice to absorb the rich, spicy sauce. It brings a satisfying combination of flavors and textures to a traditional Chinese meal.
When preparing, adjust the amount of chili bean paste according to spice preference and choose dried fermented black beans rinsed to moderate saltiness. If using a non-stick wok, add oil before heating to prevent damage.
Ingredients
- 300 g pork belly 10oz, in one piece
- 5 lices ginger
- 2 teaspoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan chili bean paste see note 1
- 1 tablespoon fermented black beans see note 2, Dou Chi, 豆豉
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 small leek see note 3, cut diagonally
- 2 red chili pepper fresh, cut diagonally
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce light
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 pinch sugar
Instructions
Precook the pork
- 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. Pat dry the pork slices with paper towel to remove any excess water on the surface (this helps to prevent oil splashing in the next step).
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
- Adjust the quantity of Sichuan chili bean paste based on its saltiness and heat level as brands vary.
- Use dried fermented black beans, rinse to remove excess salt, and chop them before cooking.
- Green garlic (Suan Miao) is traditional but leeks or celery can substitute if unavailable.
- Simmer pork belly until tender; test doneness with chopsticks — it should pass through with slight resistance.
- For non-stick woks, add oil before heating to prevent damage and follow safety notes about heating.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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