Twice-Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)
回锅肉
Sichuan's most famous pork dish — boiled then stir-fried pork belly with doubanjiang, leeks, and garlic shoots. Twice-cooked = twice as good.
📋 Ingredients
What Is Twice-Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)?
💡 Ingredient Notes: Twice-Cooked Pork (回锅肉, huí guō ròu, literally 'returned to pot') is the most famous pork dish in Sichuan. Pork belly is first boiled with ginger and spices until cooked through, then sliced thin and stir-fried with doubanjiang, sweet bean paste, leeks, and garlic shoots. The name comes from this double cooking — first boil, then stir-fry. The result is pork with crispy, curled edges (the fat renders out) coated in a spicy-savory sauce. This is the dish every Sichuan family cooks — simple, bold, and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients You'll Need
The Pork (First Cook)
- 500g pork belly, skin on, in one piece
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 scallions
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- Water to cover
The Stir-Fry (Second Cook)
- 2 tbsp doubanjiang
- 1 tbsp sweet bean paste (甜面酱)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 large leeks, cut into pieces
- 150g garlic shoots or green pepper, cut
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
📝 Instructions
Boil the pork (first cook)
Place pork belly in a pot with ginger, scallions, cooking wine, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes until a chopstick pierces the meat easily. Remove and cool.
Slice
Slice the cooled pork belly into thin slices, about 3mm thick. Each slice should have layers of lean meat and fat. The fat is the best part.
Render and crisp
Heat a dry wok (no oil yet). Add the pork slices and stir-fry over medium heat until the fat renders and the edges curl and crisp (3-4 minutes). The pork should look slightly browned and curled. Remove and set aside.
Build the sauce
Add oil to the wok. Add doubanjiang and sweet bean paste. Fry over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until oil turns red and fragrant. This step is crucial.
Combine and finish
Return the pork to the wok. Add soy sauce and sugar. Toss to coat. Add leeks and garlic shoots. Stir-fry for 1-2 more minutes until vegetables are just wilted but still crisp. Serve with rice.
💡 Pro Tips
- 💡Slice the pork cold — warm pork falls apart. Chill it in the fridge for easier thin slicing.
- 💡Render the fat first in a dry wok — this creates the signature crispy curled edges and reduces greasiness.
- 💡Fry the doubanjiang patiently — 1-2 minutes of cooking transforms it from harsh to complex. This is the soul of Sichuan cooking.
- 💡The fat is the point — don't remove it. It should be translucent and melt-in-your-mouth after the double cooking.
📊 Nutrition Facts
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pre-cooked pork belly? If you have leftover boiled pork (like from soup), yes! That's actually traditional — repurposing boiled pork into this dish.
