Project Sichuan #2 – Twice Cooked Pork — Putting the “home” in Homestyle flavor.
/It would seem almost wrong to begin talking about Sichuanese cooking without highlighting what is perhaps the most beloved dish of all. Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Gou Rou), literally translated to mean “back in the pot,” is a classic in any Sichuan restaurant or kitchen. Thin-sliced pork is – you guessed it – cooked twice; first in water, then stir fried in Sichuan flavors with soft leeks, chunks of jalapenos and fermented black beans. It’s one of those special staples that immediately transports anyone who grew up within sight of the Chengdu mountains back to their childhood the moment they smell it.
Back in earlier Chengdu days – and perhaps even still today – everyone in a neighborhood or housing block knew when someone was making this delectable mainstay of Sichuanese cuisine. The fragrant aromas start out strong and rich, wafting through entire buildings and down the block, bringing everyone’s senses to a drooling alacrity. The desire for those flavors is almost instantly infectious and before you know it everyone is cooking the dish to quell their sudden need to eat it.
They boil the pork butt gently while blending the spices and chopping the leeks which are so vital to the dish’s signature taste. You can almost hear the deep thud of the Chinese cleaver on a thick tree-trunk chopping board, cutting the pork ever so thin, incorporating the flesh, fat and skin in each bite. The slices fold like paper, leafing atop one another until sizzled in the oil of a hot wok where it curls around itself. The chili paste and fermented beans are fried to release their rose-colored magic, then mixed with a little soy and sugar to soften the spicy edges. Toss in those leeks and peppers and stir fry it all together quickly.
Twice Cooked Pork at Red Pepper Restaurant
Ah, the gentle, haunting taste of Twice Cooked Pork is a Sichuan comfort food dish which will stick in your memory, leaving you with a permanent longing for Sichuan cuisine. This is a classic example of Home-style flavor, with the Sichuan chili bean paste intermingling with Xiaosheng rice wine, fermented black beans and soy, highlighted by just a little sweet and a little fire. The slightly hot character of this flavor doesn’t ignite the heat sensors of your tongue like so many expect in every Sichuan dish, but rather simply awakens your taste buds with umami and vegetal flavors heightened by pickled red chiles. That’s one of the reasons it’s often served early in a Sichuan meal, rather than after some other dish that blows out your tastebuds. Instead, the pork is soft and feathery, tender to the bite and robust with a mild, unforgettable salty/meaty flavor that is so good it can make you cry.
Red Pepper Restaurant, 4545 University Way NE, Seattle, WA
Which was practically my reaction over the Twice Cooked Pork served up at Red Pepper Restaurant in Seattle’s University District. This unassuming place sits in a vibrant neighborhood, close to the University of Washington but still far enough away from campus that only those who are willing to make an effort for their food will come. Red Pepper started at its location in 2015 with the determination to bring truly Sichuanese food to the University District. It’s dedication to that goal has remained steadfast and they offer dishes which are classic to the Chengdu region of China. As soon as I looked over the menu it was clear that this is not your typical Sino-American eatery found on every corner. With both traditional and more modern takes on favorite recipes, they combine heat and spice in combinations that authentically represent this largely misunderstood cuisine. Red Pepper is, in other words, the real deal for an iconic taste of Sichuan. And a very good place to experience this ever-popular Homestyle dish.
