By NICK HUANG
Active time: 30 minutes
Inactive time: 2 hours
Pork belly is a popular cut of meat in multiple Asian cuisines; originally a choice cut reserved for special occasions or the wealthy, it’s now more accessible and affordable than ever before. Pork belly has a large amount of fat and collagen. An initial slow and gentle cooking step helps break down the connective tissue making it tender without drying out the meat. Finishing up with a sear in a hot pan helps render out excess fat while crisping up the edges.
I won’t claim that this recipe here makes for truly authentic Sichuan Twice Cooked Pork, but as with all cuisines, certain key ingredients add to the authenticity of the dish. The optional ingredients that may be harder to find in stores are denoted below with an asterisk.
Ingredients
For the braise:
1 pound of pork belly
1 thumb sized knob of ginger
2 scallions
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine*
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
For the stir-fry:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of dou-chi* (fermented soy beans)
2 scallions
1 spicy pepper (as fits your preferences; long hot peppers or jalapenos are fine)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
Directions