Chinese
SpicyHunan cured pork with garlic shoots
腊肉炒蒜苗 (làròu chǎo suànmiáo) — smoky cured pork belly stir-fried with garlic stems and chilli
Every winter, Hunan households hang strips of salted pork belly over a wood fire until they turn dark and smoky, and this quick stir-fry is the most common way to eat them through the cold months. Thin slices of the cured belly are fried until the fat turns clear and the edges crisp, then tossed with green garlic shoots, which turn sweet and tender and soak up the smoky fat, plus fresh chilli and fermented black beans for a salty, spicy kick. It is a plain everyday dish that sits beside rice on a farmhouse table. Serve it with steamed rice and a light soup. Chef's tip: simmer the cured pork before slicing; it softens the meat and draws out some of the salt, so the finished dish is savoury rather than harsh.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 3
- Per serving
- 390 kcal
Ingredients
- 9 oz Chinese cured pork belly (la rou)or a piece of thick-cut smoked streaky bacon
- 9 oz garlic shoots (green garlic or garlic stems)cut diagonally into 4 cm lengths, whites and greens kept apart
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 2 fresh red chilliessliced diagonally
- 1 tsp fermented black beansrinsed
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp light soy sauceonly if needed
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz Chinese cured pork belly (la rou) in a small pan of boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes, until softened. Chinese cured pork is raw-cured, not ready to eat, so it must be cooked through. Drain and let it cool for a minute.
8 minStep 2: Slice the pork thinly, about 3 mm, keeping a strip of fat on each slice.
Step 3: Heat a wok over a medium heat, add 1 tsp neutral oil and then the pork slices. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the fat turns translucent, some oil runs out and the edges just start to crisp.
3 minStep 4: Add the white parts of 9 oz garlic shoots (green garlic or garlic stems), 2 fresh red chillies and 1 tsp fermented black beans and stir-fry for 1 minute over a high heat.
1 minStep 5: Add the green parts with ½ tsp sugar and toss for 1 minute more, until bright green and just wilted.
1 minStep 6: Taste before seasoning. Add 1 tsp light soy sauce only if it needs it; the most common mistake with this dish is adding salt, as the cured pork brings plenty. Serve at once with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does hunan cured pork with garlic shoots take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of fermented black beans?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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