Succulent Pork with Double-Cut Slices (Hui Guo Rou)

Succulent Pork with Double-Cut Slices (Hui Guo Rou)

By Chef Cannon

Cuisine: Chinese

Thick-cut pork belly 300g is what defines Succulent Pork with Double-Cut Slices (Hui Guo Rou), a home meat dish.

Difficulty

4 / 5

★★★★☆

Advanced

Ingredients

  • 500g Thick-cut pork belly (0.5 jin/rin) (For men) 300g (For women)
  • Scallions (Green Onion)
  • Ginger
  • Green and Red bell peppers
  • Garlic Chives
  • Cooking wine
  • Broad Bean Paste (Doubanjiang)
  • Light Soy Sauce
  • MSG (Vinegar Monosodium Glutamate)

Steps

Part 1: Preparation of the Pork Belly

  1. Place the wok on high heat and press the pork belly firmly against the surface to sear/scorch the skin.
  2. This step is to remove sweat glands from the pork skin (or ask the butcher to do this if buying. Those who like sweat glands can ignore).
  3. Scrub the skin with a steel wool ball until the black carbonized parts are completely removed. If not washed clean, it will taste bitter.
  4. Place the pork belly in the pot. Pour in enough cold water to cover the pork belly. Add ginger slices, cooking wine, and scallions (tie 2 scallions into a knot).
  5. Turn on high heat to boil. Once water boils, skim off the froth. Continue boiling for 15 minutes until the lean meat part can be easily pierced with a chopstick.

Part 2: Preparation of Side Vegetables

  1. Cut the green and red bell peppers into rounds.
  2. Cut the garlic chives into sections.
  3. Slice the ginger into small thin pieces.
  4. Mix 5ml of Broad Bean Paste and 5ml of Light Soy Sauce in advance.

Part 3: Second Stage of Pork Belly Preparation

  1. Remove the cooked pork belly and place it in cold water to cool down.
  2. Pat the pork belly dry with a towel, then cut it into slices that are fatty at the top and lean at the bottom to a thickness of 2mm (cutting it too thick results in poor texture and excessive oil).

Start Stir-frying the Meat

  1. Note: In this step, the operation must be fast; be careful not to burn the pot.
  2. Heat up the wok and pour a layer of oil to grease it.
  3. Add the pork belly and stir-fry until the fat is translucent and the meat rolls slightly (referred to as forming a 'lantern cup'). The 'Second Cut' meat yields the best results.
  4. Pour in the mixed Doubanjiang and Soy Sauce, add 5g MSG, and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
  5. Add the bell pepper rounds and sliced ginger, then add another 5ml of Doubanjiang and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
  6. Add the garlic chives and stir-fry for 60 seconds.
  7. Remove from the wok.

Simple Version

  1. Choose frozen pork belly and leave it at room temperature for 0.5 hours, or fresh pork belly and cool it in the refrigerator for 1 hour, then slice into 2-5mm thin slices.
  2. Turn on medium heat, place the chili peppers in the dry wok and stir-fry for 30-45 seconds, then remove.
  3. Heat the wok, pour in a layer of oil to grease it, add the ginger slices and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
  4. Add the pork belly, stir-fry every 10 seconds. Wait until the pork belly appears faintly yellowish (the longer you stir-fry, the harder the texture of the pork becomes).
  5. Pour in the previously stir-fried chili peppers, 10ml of Doubanjiang, add soy sauce to taste, and continue stir-frying for 60 seconds.
  6. Add the cut into-section garlic chives and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
  7. Remove from the wok.

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Notes

Hui Guo Rou is a traditional Sichuan dish, primarily made with 'Second Cut' meat (known as Twin Tail/Tuojian) or thick-cut pork belly. The dish has bright red color, translucent and slightly curled fat, and lean meat that is dry, aromatic, and not dry/brittle. The texture is fatty but not greasy, slightly salty and spicy, with a complex aroma of garlic chives and broad bean paste. The pork is rich in high-quality protein and essential fatty acids, paired with bell peppers and garlic chives which supplement vitamins. Although this recipe has slightly more steps (boiling, cutting, stir-frying) and requires control of wok heat and knife skills, beginners can succeed by following the process. It takes approximately 40 minutes in total.

Estimated Difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated Calories: 997 kcal
Category: Hui Guo Rou

Customization Calculation

  • Pork belly amount: 0.5 jin (men) / 0.3 jin (women).
  • Authentic Hui Guo Rou uses 'Second Cut' meat (often called Pelvic Tip, tough-fibrous muscle), which offers good texture and fat-to-meat ratio.
  • 2 scallions
  • Ginger 10-40g
  • Green and Red bell peppers (Choose based on spice tolerance, 0-30g) *Note: Use vegetables with thin flesh (e.g., Fish peppers) instead of meaty capsicums.
  • 1 bundle (bunch) of garlic chives
  • Cooking wine 5ml
  • Broad Bean Paste 10ml
  • MSG 5g
  • Light Soy Sauce 5ml

Additional Tips

  • If you dislike garlic chives, you can replace them with onion or other vegetables. Pay attention to the vegetables' tenderness and stir-fry them beforehand to ensure they are cooked, otherwise, you may get half-cooked vegetables.
  • If the pork belly is large pieces, cut them into 5cm (2-inch) square blocks. Cook the pork until the chopstick can be inserted into the pork skin with slight force.
  • The texture of the pork becomes firmer after cooling in cold water.
  • Patting the pork dry prevents hot oil from splattering and burning you during stir-fry.
  • Never cut the pork slices too thickly, otherwise it will be too greasy.
  • If you find any issues or can improve the process while following this guide,

If you find any issues or can improve the process while following this guide,

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Cuisine: Chinese