Celtnet Recipes Blog

The forecast here is for lots of snow over the next few days, so I have been stocking up the larder. For various reasons, it will be hard for me to get connected for a while, so today quite a few recipes are going to be posted. I'm hoping to get everything together so that the recipes for a complete Chinese meal will be available here. I will link together the soup, starters and main course dishes for easier navigation.

The first recipe is one of my favourites, a spicy Szechuan-style dish of pork belly.

Spicy Szechuan Pork Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

280g (10 oz) pork belly
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tbsp chilli bean sauce
1 tbsp fermented black beans
1 tsp sweet red bean paste (optional)
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
pinch of ground white pepper

Method:

Also known as doubanjiang or chili bean paste, chilli bean sauce is a fiery blend of fermented soybeans, broad beans, red chillies, salt and spices. If you cannot get it, substitute a blend of sambal olek (for the heat) and a little fish sauce (for the fermented saltiness).

Rinse the fermented black beans thoroughly, drain then turn into a bowl and mash lightly before setting aside.

Bring a pan of water to a boil then add the pork slices, reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes skimming the surface free of fat from time to time.

Take off the heat and set aside to cool then remove the pork from the broth and slice the meat thinly.

Pre-heat your wok and when hot add the oil. Hat the oil until almost smoking then add the pork slices and stir-fry until they begin to shrink. At this point stir in the chilli bean sauce, ensuring that it coats the pork. Now add the black beans and the red bean paste (if using).

Finally add the bell pepper and toss to combine before adding the sugar, soy sauce and white pepper. Stir fry for 2 minutes then turn into a warmed bowl and serve.

Personally I like this dish quite spicy and as a variation you can add 1 small green chilli, finely chopped and 1/4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed.

This is only one recipe that goes into making a complete Chinese meal, you can find the other recipes on this blog using the links below:

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)