Sichuan Pork

A delicous numbing and spicy recipe to delight the senses

The recipe I referred to in my previous post. The flavour can best be described as má là, a Chinese term meaning numbing ( má 麻) and spicy ( là 辣). The aroma is citrusy and deep, and the flavour leaves you wanting more. I suggest you serve this with rice. This recipe takes about 45 minutes, but it is well worth it.

Ingredients

  • Pork belly (without the rind)
  • Black pepper
  • About a tablespoon of red Sichuan peppercorns (less if you can’t stand the numbing effect)
  • Five-spice powder
  • High smoke point cooking oil (like vegetable oil)
  • Star anise
  • Onion
  • Ginger
  • As much pepper as you can handle (and don’t be a wimp!)
  • Half a liter of bone or beef stock
  • Soy sauce
  • Honey
  • Shaoxing cooking wine (optional, to deglaze if necessary)
  • Black bean sauce (optional, adds some counterbalance umami to this spicy dish)

Cooking plan

  • Start by toasting the star anise and red Sichuan peppercorns in a non-oiled pan until fragrant. Put aside the star anise for later use.
  • Grind the peppercorns into dust, along with some black pepper.
  • Cut your pork belly into bite sized strips, and cover it in about a tablespoon of five-spice powder.
  • Heat up a wok with oil until smoking, and cook the pork belly until brown. Get some of that Maillard reaction goodness in there. If you want, you can deglaze your pan with some cooking wine.
  • Put the pork aside, and start sautéing the onion until browned. After a bit, add in your peppers as well.
  • Add your pork back to the pan. Add the stock with your toasted star anise, some slices of ginger and the ground powder of the peppercorn and black pepper. Let your mixture simmer until it has been reduced to about 1/3rd of what you started with. This may take a while.
  • After your broth has been reduced to satisfaction, you can choose to take out the pork and add it back in at the last stage. This makes cooking the sauce easier, and it makes sure you don’t overcook the pork. It will still be delicious if you don’t.
  • To your broth, add some soy sauce, a generous helping of honey (at least 2-3 eating spoons) and some optional black bean sauce. Stir on high heat until the sauce has thickened.
  • Finally, add everything back together, fish out the star anise and ginger, and serve with white rice.

Enjoy!