Sichuan Twice-Cooked Pork with Leeks and Chili Bean Paste

Steps

1. Step 1

   Put the pork belly in a medium pot with the ginger, scallions, Shaoxing wine and Sichuan peppercorns. Add cold water to cover by about 1 inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam that rises.

   10 min

   • 1 1/2 lb skin-on pork belly
   • 4 slices fresh ginger
   • 2 scallions
   • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
   • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
2. Step 2

   Lower the heat so the water barely bubbles and simmer, uncovered, until a chopstick or thin knife slides into the meat with little resistance, 30 to 35 minutes. Lift the pork out and let it cool. Discard the simmering liquid or save it for soup.

   35 min, hands-off

3. Step 3

   Chill the pork until firm, at least 30 minutes in the freezer or up to 2 days covered in the fridge. Firm pork is much easier to slice thin.

   30 min, hands-off

4. Step 4

   Slice the chilled pork across the slab into thin pieces about 1/8 inch thick, so each slice has skin, fat and meat.

   10 min

5. Step 5

   Halve the leeks lengthwise, rinse away any grit between the layers, then cut into 1-inch lengths on an angle. Have the bell pepper, chiles and garlic ready beside the stove, and stir the doubanjiang, black beans, sweet bean sauce, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and sugar together in a small bowl.

   10 min

   • 2 leeks
   • 1 green bell pepper
   • 2 fresh red chiles, such as Fresno
   • 3 cloves garlic
   • 1 1/2 tbsp doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste)
   • 2 tsp fermented black beans
   • 1 tbsp sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
   • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
   • 2 tsp soy sauce
   • 1 tsp sugar
6. Step 6

   Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork slices in a single layer and fry, stirring now and then, until the fat has rendered and the edges curl and brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.

   6 min

   • 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as vegetable or peanut
7. Step 7

   Turn the heat to medium. Push the pork to one side, add the sauce mixture to the fat and cook, stirring, until it smells toasty and the oil turns red, about 45 seconds. Don't let it scorch.

   1 min

8. Step 8

   Raise the heat to high. Add the garlic, bell pepper and red chiles and stir-fry 1 minute, then add the leeks and stir-fry until the leeks are just tender but still bright, 2 to 3 minutes more. Toss everything together so the pork is coated.

   4 min

9. Step 9

   Taste and add a splash more soy sauce if it needs salt. Serve right away over hot steamed rice.

   • 4 cups steamed white rice

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 4, 2026