Twice-Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)

The story

Hui guo rou means "returned to the pot" — pork belly first simmered, then sliced and fired again with doubanjiang and leeks until each slice curls into a little cup of flavor. It is Sichuan's national home dish and the reason doubanjiang jars exist.

Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)

• Pork belly or thick pork chops — 12 oz / 350 g
• Doubanjiang (chili bean paste) — 1.5 tbsp
• Leeks or scallions — 2, bias-cut
• Garlic — 3 cloves, sliced
• Ginger — 3 slices + 1 tbsp minced
• Soy sauce — 1 tbsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): sugar (1 tsp), cooking wine or water, cooking oil. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Simmer the pork with ginger slices 20 minutes until just tender; chill 10 minutes (or in the freezer 5) and slice thin.
2. Fry the slices in a dry-ish pan over medium until the edges curl and the fat turns glassy, 4–5 minutes.
3. Push aside; doubanjiang and minced ginger in the rendered fat until red.
4. Everything together with garlic, leeks, soy and sugar; 1 minute of tossing.

Swaps

Pork chop slices work if belly scares you. Leeks are traditional; scallions or bell pepper are fine.