Sichuan-style Braised Pork with Quail Eggs
As a meat dish popular in both southern and northern China, achieving the authentic Sichuan flavor is impossible without Pixian bean paste. This dish pairs perfectly with rice, though it does require a generous amount of meat!
Ingredients
Steps
Wash and boil the pork belly, then cut into small pieces. Peel and dice the carrots (carrots are added because my partner likes vegetables, but you can omit them). Clean and dice the shiitake mushrooms, blanch them, and set aside. Slice the ginger and garlic. Break the dried chili peppers and remove the seeds. Prepare 20 Sichuan peppercorns. Boil 10 quail eggs, cool them in cold water, and peel them.
Heat a pan without oil, add the pork belly over low heat, and stir-fry until the fat renders. This makes the meat less greasy. Fry until both sides are golden brown, then set aside.
Using the rendered fat, add rock sugar. If there isn't enough oil, add a little rapeseed oil. Stir-fry over low heat until the sugar melts and starts to foam, then add the pork to coat it with the caramel. (Be careful with the heat to avoid burning the sugar, which would make the dish bitter.)
Add the ginger slices, garlic, dried chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns in order, followed by a tablespoon of Pixian bean paste. Stir-fry continuously until fragrant and the meat is evenly coated. Be careful not to use too high heat. Add a large bowl of water to cover the meat, then add a tablespoon of light soy sauce and a few drops of dark soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes, then add the carrots and shiitake mushrooms. Cook for another 10 minutes, then add the quail eggs and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Serve on a plate. The carrots should be tender, the meat should be melt-in-your-mouth, and the flavors should be perfectly balanced.
It's a huge portion! I thought the three of us wouldn't finish it, but we ate every last bite. The kids loved it!