The name of this dish, Twice Cooked Pork (回鍋肉), is a literal explanation of how its starring ingredient—pork belly—is cooked. The meat is first parboiled, then stir fried so you get the best of both worlds. Each slice has a tender texture from the boiling, but also beautiful browning from stir frying.

Twice-cooked pork belly originally comes from Sichuan and has a spicier profile than this recipe. It usually contains fresh chili peppers, whole fermented soybeans and green garlic, as shown twice-cooked pork recipe has been tweaked to fit our family’s Cantonese palate and only has a hint of spice from doubanjiang, or ground bean paste.