Twice-cooked pork

Twice-Cooked Pork is a traditional Sichuan dish, primarily made with second-cut pork or pork belly. The finished dish features a glossy, reddish-brown appearance, with the fatty parts appearing translucent and slightly curled, and the lean parts being dry, fragrant, and not dry-tough. It has a rich yet non-greasy texture, with a salty, savory, and mildly spicy flavor, complemented by the complex aroma of garlic scapes and broad bean paste. Pork is rich in high-quality protein and essential fatty acids, while the addition of green and red bell peppers and garlic scapes helps supplement vitamins. This dish involves several steps, including boiling, slicing, and stir-frying, and requires a certain level of skill in heat control and knife work. However, beginners can also succeed by following the process step-by-step. The total preparation and cooking time is approximately 40 minutes.

Estimated Calories：997 kcal

Ingredients and Tools

• Pork belly
• Scallions
• Fresh ginger
• Green and red chili peppers
• Garlic shoots
• Cooking wine
• Chili bean paste
• Light soy sauce
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Calculation

• Pork belly: 0.55 lb per man, 0.33 lb per woman (authentic twice-cooked pork uses second-cut pork, commonly called the rump tip, which has a firm texture and an ideal balance of fat and lean meat)
• 2 scallions
• Ginger 10–40 g
• Green and red chilies (choose according to your preferred level of spiciness, 0–30 g)*Note: Thick-fleshed bell peppers are not recommended
• 1 bunch of garlic sprouts
• Chinese cooking wine 5 ml
• Doubanjiang 10 ml
• MSG 5 g
• Light soy sauce 5 ml

Steps

Preparing a Piece of Pork Belly

1. Heat the wok until hot, then press the pork belly firmly against the surface of the wok to sear the skin.

• This step is to treat the sweat glands on the pigskin (or ask the butcher to singe the skin when purchasing the meat; if you prefer the sweat glands, you can skip this).

2. Scrub the skin clean with a steel wool ball until all blackened, charred parts are completely removed. If not scrubbed clean, it will have a bitter taste.
3. Place the pork belly in a pot, add enough cold water to submerge it, then add sliced ginger, cooking wine, and small scallions (tie 2 scallions into a knot).
4. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, then continue simmering for 15 minutes, until the lean meat can be easily pierced with chopsticks.

Side Dish Preparation

1. Slice the green and red chili peppers into rings
2. Cut the garlic shoots into sections
3. Slice the ginger into small, thin pieces
4. Mix 5 ml of doubanjiang and 5 ml of light soy sauce in advance

Two-Stage Processing of Pork Belly

1. Remove the cooked pork belly and place it in cold water to cool.
2. Pat the pork belly dry, then cut it into 2 mm-thick slices with the fatty layer on top and the lean layer underneath (slices that are too thick will have an unpleasant texture and be very greasy).

Start Stir-Frying the Meat

Note: Execute this step quickly and carefully to prevent the ingredients from sticking and burning.

1. Heat the wok, add a thin layer of oil, and swirl it around to coat the surface (season the wok).
2. Add the pork belly slices and stir-fry until the fat becomes translucent and the meat slices slightly curl (a state often referred to as "lamp wick" or "chrysanthemum" shape). Double-cut pork yields the best results.
3. Pour in the mixture of fermented broad bean paste and light soy sauce, add 5g of MSG, and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
4. Add green and red bell pepper rings and small ginger slices, then add another 5ml of fermented broad bean paste and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
5. Add garlic chives and stir-fry for 60 seconds.
6. Remove from the heat and serve.

Simple Version

1. Use frozen pork belly and let it thaw for 0.5 hours, or refrigerate fresh pork belly for 1 hour. Slice into thin pieces 2-5 mm thick.
2. Heat over medium heat, stir-fry dried chilies in an empty pan for 30-45 seconds, then remove.
3. Heat the pan, add a thin layer of oil to coat the surface, then add ginger slices and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
4. Add the pork belly. Stir-fry once every 10 seconds until the pork turns golden brown (the longer you stir-fry, the tougher the texture becomes).
5. Add the previously stir-fried chilies and 10ml of broad bean paste. Season with light soy sauce and continue stir-frying for 60 seconds.
6. Add sliced garlic sprouts and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
7. Serve.

Additional Notes

• If you don't like garlic scapes, you can substitute onions or other vegetables. However, pay attention to how quickly the vegetables cook and stir-fry them in advance; otherwise, they may end up undercooked.
• If the twice-cooked pork is in large pieces, cut it into roughly 5-centimeter cubes. Boil the pork belly until a pair of chopsticks can be inserted through the skin with slight pressure.
• Rinsing the twice-cooked pork under cold water and letting it cool will make the meat firmer.
• Patting the twice-cooked pork dry helps prevent hot oil from splattering and causing burns during stir-frying.
• Be sure not to slice the twice-cooked pork too thickly, or it will be overly greasy.
• If you encounter any problems or find ways to improve the process while following this guide, please open an Issue or submit a Pull request.

If you encounter any problems or find ways to improve the process while following this guide, please open an Issue or submit a Pull request.

Images