Huiguorou (Twice-Cooked Pork)
A Sichuan stir-fry whose name literally means 'twice-cooked pork,' plausibly rooted in Song Dynasty ancestor-worship practice, where boiled sacrificial pork was re-cooked afterward rather than wasted. A popular legend credits the Song-era poet Su Dongpo with inventing it, but that's worth treating as folklore rather than verified history, since Su Dongpo is a recurring stock figure attached to many Chinese food origin stories. The dish only became the fiery version known today after chili peppers arrived in China and Pixian doubanjiang was developed, centuries later, so its spicy identity is a real, later evolution rather than an ancient constant. Real huiguorou boils a whole piece of skin-on pork belly first, chills it, then slices it thin and stir-fries it a second time with Pixian doubanjiang, a non-negotiable ingredient whose absence changes the dish's identity entirely.
⚠ Contains: Soy, Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 500g pork belly, skin-on, whole piece
- 3 slices ginger, plus 2 scallions (for boiling)
- 3 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang (fermented broad bean chili paste)
- 1 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi)
- 1 tbsp sweet fermented sauce (tianmianjiang)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 6 garlic shoots or leeks, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
Steps
- Simmer the pork belly whole with ginger and scallion until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Cool and chill until firm.
- Slice the chilled pork belly very thin.
- Heat a wok and fry the pork slices until the fat renders and edges curl slightly.
- Push the pork aside and fry the doubanjiang, black beans, and garlic in the rendered fat until fragrant and red oil releases.
- Toss the pork back in with the sweet fermented sauce, soy sauce, and sugar.
- Add the garlic shoots and stir-fry briefly until just wilted. Serve immediately.