chichis chinese

Twice-cooked pork is a Sichuan dish of fatty pork leg or belly that gets two very different cooking preparations. In the first stage, the belly is simmered just until it is cooked through. Then you stir-fry the slices of belly until the meat is brown, the fat has rendered somewhat, and the layer of skin is a little crispy around the edges. Finally, add to the wok what I think should be some kind of holy trinity of Chinese pastes: black bean, chili bean, and sweet bean.

Twice-Cooked Pork Recipe

rind-off pork belly

cooking oil

chili bean paste

sweet bean paste (tian mi jiang)

black bean paste

soy sauce

sugar

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pork and simmer until it is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove the pork from the water and let cool. (Water can be set aside for use in stock, or discarded.) Place the belly in the refrigerator for an hour or more to firm up the flesh.   

When the meat is cool, slice it thinly so you have 1/4-inch thick rectangles of meat.

Heat oil or lard in wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the slices of pork and stir-fry until the fat has rendered somewhat and the skin is brown and somewhat crisp, about 2 minutes. Push the pork to one side of the wok and add the chili bean paste. Stir-fry until the oil is red, then add the sweet bean paste and the black beans and stir-fry for a few seconds longer. Mix everything together and add the soy sauce and the sugar/  

Add the leeks or ramps and stir-fry until they are just cooked, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately. 

If eating the fermented tofu straight-up isn't for you, try stir-frying vegetables with it.  One or two cubes flavors a whole stir-fry dish, imparting a salty-sweet depth that's a nice change from soy sauce or oyster sauce. Cauliflower take well to its strong flavor.

Cauliflower Stir-Fried with Fermented Bean Curd Recipe

vegetable or canola oil

cauliflower,

garlic,

water or stock

bean curd

salt and black pepper

Heat oil in a large wok over high heat until smoking. Add the cauliflower and stir-fry until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Push to the sides and add garlic to center. Stir fry until golden, about 30 seconds. Toss garlic and cauliflower together.

Add the stock or water and cover the wok with a lid or plate. Let the liquid simmer until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the cubes of fermented bean curd.  Break up the bean curd with a spatula and toss the cauliflower around to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.  

Chinkiang vinegar makes this version of sweet and sour pork less sweet and less sour than the Chinese-American classic.

Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

pork

Kosher salt

Shaoxing rice wine

white sugar

Chinkiang vinegar

egg, beaten

scallions, chopped into 1-inch segments

ginger,

Cut the meat into slices 1-inch long and about 1/4 inch thick. Combine 1 teaspoon salt salt and rice wine in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the pork and transfer to refrigerate. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Heat oil in a wok or Dutch oven to 350°F.  Beat together egg and remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch to form a batter. Coat pork with batter, allow excess to drain, and carefully transfer to the hot oil, adding the pieces one at a time to prevent clumping. Cook until crisp and just barely cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon. and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil in the wok and return to medium-high heat. Add the ginger and the scallions and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the pork strips and stir-fry for 30 seconds more, to toss the meat in the fragrant oil.

Add all of the stock or water, bring the liquid to a simmer, then sugar/vinegar/soy mixture. Stir quickly as the liquid thickens to prevent the cornstarch from clumping.  Cook until the sauce has thickened and no longer tastes like cornstarch, about 30 seconds.  Drizzle in sesame oil and serve immediately.

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Twice-Cooked Pork Recipe

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Top 3 chichis chinese recipes from across the web

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Twice-Cooked Pork Recipe

Cauliflower Stir-Fried with Ferment...

Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

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