Crispy pork recipe
Known as Huí Guo Ròu - which literally means 'meat that has been returned to the pot' - this is a staple, high protein Sichuan-style Chinese dish that is growing in popularity in Britain. The crisp pork skin literally melts in your mouth and the rich flavours of the pork belly taste absolutely delicious combined with jasmine rice. It's also very quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 300 g Pork belly
- 1 pint Water
- 1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 3 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 Spring onions, sliced
- 1 tsp Ground dry-toasted Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 Handful of Cornflour
- 200 ml Groundnut oil
- 5 Baby leeks, sliced in half lengthways
- 100 g Baby corn, sliced in half lengthways
- 75 g Sugar snap peas
- 2 Portions of steamed jasmine rice to serve
- 1 tsp Chilli bean paste - For the sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry - For the sauce
- 1 tsp Dark soy sauce - For the sauce
- 1 tsp Light soy sauce - For the sauce
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper oil/ chilli oil - For the sauce
- 1 Pinch of sugar - For the sauce
Details
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 5 mins
- Cooking Time: 15 mins
- Serves: 2
Step-by-step
- Put the pork into a large pan with the water, rice, wine or sherry, two-thirds of the ginger and all the spring onions. Bring to the boil and boil for 12 minutes, then drain and leave to cool.
- Slice the pork belly across into thin slices, season with the ground Sichuan peppercorns and dust in cornflour.
- Heat a wok over a high heat, then add the groundnut oil. Heat the oil to 180C/350F or until a cube of bread dropped in turns golden brown in 15 seconds and floats to the surface. Add the pork slices and shallow-fry for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
- Pour the oil from the wok through a sieve into a heatproof container and save to use later. Return 1 tablespoon oil to the wok and heat. Add the remaining sliced ginger (slice it more finely if necessary) and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add all the ingredients for the sauce and stir well. Return the pork to the wok with the leeks, baby corn and sugar snap peas. Stir well, then stir-fry for 2 minutes until the vegetables are al dente. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.
Taken from Ching's Chinese Food in Minutes published by HarperCollins