Twice-Cooked Pork: From Joyce Chen’s 1961 Kitchen to Today’s Sichuan Pantry
As I’ve mentioned before, I have a large collection of modern, vintage, and antique cookbooks. One of the things I enjoy most is comparing how recipes have evolved over the decades and seeing how cooks adapted authentic dishes to the ingredients available at the time.
Where did I find this classic dish?
I first discovered this recipe for Twice Cooked Pork in Joyce Chen’s 1961 cookbook, where it appeared under the name “Chungking Pork.” Like many early Chinese-American cookbooks, it adapted traditional Chinese cooking for ingredients American home cooks could actually find.
Although some ingredient substitutions reflected what was available in the United States during the early 1960s, the heart of the recipe was unmistakably Huí Guō Ròu (回锅肉), or Twice-Cooked Pork, one of Sichuan’s most famous home-style dishes.
Want to try a few more Sichuan classics, Kung Pao Chicken- Authentic Sichuan Recipe
Or my most popular Chinese recipe, Easy Sichuan Chicken: The Chinese Secret to Perfectly Tender Chicken
Or a vegetarian option, MaPo Tofu: Stir-Fry Tofu with Szechuan Flavors
My favorite Sichuan fish, Spicy Sichuan Fish – Lucky Dragon’s Speciality
And a wonderful shrimp and noodle dish, Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe with Flavorful Spring Onion Oil
Or a take away classic, Chinese Chicken with Fermented Black Beans: A Takeout Favorite
And finally, my "go to" recipes I cook on rotation, My Favorite Recipes
I’ve updated the recipe with authentic ingredients such as Pixian doubanjiang, Shaoxing wine, and fermented black beans while preserving the technique that made Joyce Chen’s original version so memorable.
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1 lb Pork belly (traditional), left whole, or 1 pound boneless pork loin or boneless pork chops for a leaner version
3 slices fresh Ginger Root, peeled
¼ pound Cabbage, cut into approximately 2-inch pieces (about 2–3 cups)
¼ cup Fermented Black Beans, minced
¼ cup Stock from cooking the pork
Gently simmer the pork with 2 cups of water, the Shaoxing wine, and one slice of ginger. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until just tender but not falling apart. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly to aid slicing. Reserve the cooking stock.
Slice the cooked pork into pieces about ¼ inch thick.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the salt, then the cabbage. Stir-fry constantly for about one minute, until the cabbage is half translucent. Remove the cabbage and set it aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same wok. Stir-fry the remaining ginger slices and the crushed garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced pork and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until some of the fat begins to render and the edges turn lightly brown.
Stir in the doubanjiang and cook for about 30 seconds before adding the fermented black beans, soy sauce, sugar and stock. Cook for about one minute, stirring constantly.
Return the cabbage to the wok, toss everything together until well combined, and serve immediately.
Twice-Cooked Pork: From Joyce Chen’s 1961 Kitchen to Today’s Sichuan Pantry
I first discovered this recipe for Twice Cooked Pork in Joyce Chen’s 1961 cookbook, where it appeared under the name “Chungking Pork.” Like many early Chinese-American cookbooks, it adapted traditional Chinese cooking for ingredients American home cooks could actually find.
Stock PotWok
1 pound Pork belly (traditional, left whole, or 1 pound boneless pork loin or boneless pork chops for a leaner version)1 tsp Shaoxing Wine3 slices fresh Ginger Root4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil¼ pound Cabbage (cut into approximately 2-inch pieces (about 2–3 cups))½ tsp Salt2 cloves Garlic (crushed)¼ cup Fermented Black Beans (minced)1 tsp Pixian doubanjiang2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce1 tsp Sugar¼ cup Stock from cooking the pork
Gently simmer the pork with 2 cups of water, the Shaoxing wine, and one slice of ginger. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until just tender but not falling apart. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly to aid slicing.Slice the cooked pork into pieces about ¼ inch thick. Reserve the cooking stock.Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the salt, then the cabbage. Stir-fry constantly for about one minute, until the cabbage is half translucent. Remove the cabbage and set it aside.Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same wok. Stir-fry the remaining ginger slices and the crushed garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced pork and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until some of the fat begins to render and the edges lightly brown.Stir in the doubanjiang and cook for about 30 seconds before adding the fermented black beans, soy sauce, sugar and stock. Cook for about one minute, stirring constantly.Return the cabbage to the wok, toss everything together until well combined, and serve immediately.
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Source: Twice-Cooked Pork: From Joyce Chen’s 1961 Kitchen to Today’s Sichuan Pantry
