Twice Cooked Pork & Spicy Vegetables
Submitted by kb4wyr
Twice-cooked pork stir-fried with dried mushrooms, bell pepper, bamboo shoots and bean curd in a gingery soy-mushroom sauce. A classic Sichuan-style dish with tender poached pork and crisp wok-fired vegetables.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThis twice-cooked pork belongs to the classic Sichuan huiguorou tradition, where a cut of pork shoulder first gets simmered until tender, then sliced and wok-fired with vegetables in a savory sauce. The two-stage cooking is what gives the meat its signature texture: melt-tender inside, slightly crisped at the edges where it hits the hot wok.
Dried shiitake mushrooms soaked for an hour carry the deepest flavor layer. Save that soaking liquid, it’s strained into the sauce along with soy, sugar and salt for an intensely savory base. The rehydrated mushrooms themselves join the stir-fry, chewy and umami-packed.
The vegetable mix (red bell pepper, bamboo shoots, carrot) keeps things classic while bean curd adds a soft, silky contrast that soaks up the sauce. Cut everything in uniform 1×1½ inch rectangles so nothing cooks unevenly or looks out of place on the plate.
The cornstarch slurry drizzled in at the end is what gives the sauce that glossy, restaurant-style body that clings to every piece rather than pooling underneath.
Chef Tips
- Save the reserved pork cooking broth, it makes a wonderful base for noodle soup or rice cooking
- Parboil the carrots as the directions say, raw carrots never fully cook in the quick stir-fry window
- Get the wok genuinely smoking before adding oil, cold wok technique produces flabby, steamed stir-fry
- Add the cornstarch slurry in a steady dribble while stirring, dumping it in creates lumps
- Cook just until the bell pepper turns bright green, overcooking dulls color and softens texture
Variations
- Add a spoonful of doubanjiang (fermented bean paste) for authentic Sichuan heat
- Swap bean curd for firm tofu pressed dry, it absorbs the sauce even better
- Include snow peas or baby bok choy in the last minute for more green texture
Ingredients
Directions
In saucepan, cover pork butt with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add more hot water if level goes below pork.
Cool pork in its cooking water.
Wash, then soak mushrooms in warm water for 1 hour.
Squeeze liquid from mushrooms, reserving liquid.
Discard mushroom stems, and halve mushrooms.
Halve, seed and core bell pepper; cut into pieces about 1×1½ inch Slice bamboo to match bell pepper. Peel carrot; slice on bias into ovals. Remove pork from cooking water, and parboil carrots in water for 1 minute. Slice ⅔ of pork butt into rectangles same size as bell pepper. Save remaining ⅓ for another dish. Strain mushroom liquid; combine specified amount with soy sauce, sugar and salt. Drain bean curd, rinse in cold water, and slice same size as bell pepper. Stir-fry: Add oil to very hot wok. When oil begins to smoke, stir-fry mushrooms, garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add bell pepper, bamboo shoots, carrots and pork; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add bean curd and mushroom liquid; bring to boil. On medium heat, cover wok and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until bell pepper is bright green and crisp. Push ingredients up side of wok. Restir thick cornstarch paste, then dribble into liquid until it thickens; cook briefly while stirring. Recombine with ingredients. Serve.
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