Double Cooked Pork Recipe

Are you looking for a new way to prepare pork belly? This twice-cooked pork will offer a unique experience. The meat is tender and juicy, with a crispy, slightly charred exterior and a sweet, tender interior. The balance of fat and lean meat creates a rich, flavorful, and spicy dish that's loved by many.

Twice-cooked pork is a traditional Sichuan dish made primarily with pork belly and green peppers. If you haven’t tried it before, this dish is definitely worth experiencing. Here is an introduction to the dish along with some important cooking tips.

1.About Twice-Cooked Pork

Twice-cooked pork originated in Sichuan and has a long history, dating back to the late Qing Dynasty. In ancient times, it was known as "Youbao Guo" (油爆锅), and it is a dish commonly made in many Sichuan households.

This dish is a staple of Sichuan home cooking and is renowned for its unique flavor, bright red color, and rich yet not greasy texture. It has become a popular choice for many people as a perfect accompaniment to rice.

2.Choosing the Meat

Twice-cooked pork typically uses pork belly as the main ingredient. Pork belly, with its marbled fat and lean meat, is tender and juicy, creating a rich and flavorful dish. The fatty parts add a wonderful tenderness, while the balance of fat and lean meat helps the dish absorb flavors well, making it the ideal choice for making twice-cooked pork.

3.Main Ingredients

To make this twice-cooked pork, you'll need the following ingredients:

Pork Belly: The main ingredient for twice-cooked pork.

Carrots: Adds a crispy texture; can be included or omitted based on preference.

Ginger and Garlic: Provide unique aromas and spiciness, enhancing the dish's flavor.

Green Peppers: Ordinary green peppers will do; they add spiciness and boost appetite.

Doubanjiang (Broad Bean Paste): A key seasoning for the dish, adding salty and savory flavors.

Chicken Bouillon: Used to enhance the flavor.

Cooking Wine: Helps remove the pork's gamey smell.

Important Note: Most of these ingredients are quite common, but Doubanjiang and cooking wine might be harder to find. You can purchase them at Chinese or Asian grocery stores.

4.Why Cook Pork Belly First?

When making twice-cooked pork, it's essential to cook the pork belly beforehand for the following reasons:

Remove Blood and Odor: Cooking helps to eliminate blood and gamey smells, making the meat more tender.

Increase Tenderness: Pre-cooking makes the pork belly more flavorful and tender, improving the overall texture of the dish.

Enhance Flavor: Cooked pork belly becomes more succulent and juicy after stir-frying, adding richness to the dish.

Easier Slicing: Pre-cooked pork belly is easier to slice, which helps in achieving a more attractive presentation in the final dish.

5.How to Slice Pork Belly

After cooking the pork belly, place it in a bowl of water to cool. Pat the surface dry with paper towels. Once the pork belly is cool enough to handle, slice it horizontally into thin pieces (make sure your knife is sharpened beforehand).

If the pork belly is quite fatty (about a 1:1 fat-to-meat ratio), slice it thinner to render more fat during cooking, resulting in a crispier texture.

If the pork belly has less fat, slice it thicker to prevent the dish from becoming too dry.

In this recipe, the pork belly has less fat, so I sliced it into pieces about 4mm thick.

6.Best Pairings

Twice-cooked pork is a stir-fry dish that pairs well with various staples. It can be enjoyed with white rice, fried rice, mantou (steamed buns), noodles, or alongside blanched vegetables to create a complete meal.

7.Recipe Notes

Choosing high-quality pork belly is crucial. Select pork belly with evenly marbled fat and lean meat to achieve both great flavor and an appealing appearance.

Pre-cook the pork belly and let it cool completely before slicing; this makes the slicing process much easier.

Doubanjiang (broad bean paste) is naturally salty, so if you're mindful of your salt intake, you can reduce the amount of soy sauce and skip adding extra salt.

Now that you have a comprehensive understanding of twice-cooked pork, let's dive in and start making this delicious dish together!