Liang Ban Rou (Twice-Cooked Pork)

Twice-cooked pork belly is one of Sichuan cuisine’s greatest hits. The “twice” comes from simmering a whole slab until tender, then slicing it thin and hitting the wok for a second cook that crisps the edges and coats every piece in spicy, savory chili bean sauce.

The first cook is a slow 90-minute simmer in salted water with whole scallions and fresh ginger slices. This renders out excess fat, infuses the meat with aromatics, and makes the belly tender enough to slice cleanly into thin pieces once cooled. Cutting while still warm will shred the meat, so patience here pays off.

The wok stage is where the magic happens. Ten minutes of stir-frying in peanut oil transforms those soft, boiled slices into something with crispy, caramelized edges and rendered, slightly translucent fat. The pork releases its own fat during this stage, so draining the excess before adding garlic and ginger keeps the dish from turning greasy.

Chili bean sauce (doubanjiang), rice wine, light soy sauce, and a touch of sugar go in at the end with fresh scallion pieces. Three minutes of tossing everything together glazes the pork in a spicy, salty, slightly sweet sauce that clings to each slice.

Chef Tips

• Use pork belly with the skin on if you can get it. The skin turns gelatinous during simmering and crispy during the wok stage.
• Chill the simmered pork in the fridge for an hour before slicing. Cold pork belly holds together and cuts into clean, even pieces.
• The chili bean sauce is the soul of this dish. Pixian doubanjiang from Sichuan province is the gold standard. Don’t substitute sriracha or generic chili paste.

Variations

• Leek version (Hui Guo Rou): Replace the scallions in the stir-fry with sliced garlic chives or baby leeks for the more traditional Sichuan take.
• Less spicy: Reduce the chili bean sauce to 1 teaspoon and add an extra teaspoon of hoisin for a sweeter, milder version.