Spicy Boiled Pork

Shuizhu Roupian (水煮肉片)

Tender slices of pork and vegetables are boiled in a spicy soup that leaves the tongue sizzling and tingling. Atop all of this is a mix of chilies, garlic, and cilantro sizzling from a splash of hot oil.

The Chinese name for Spicy Boiled Pork (水煮肉片) literally means 'Water Boiled Meat Slices.' However, this direct translation is quite misleading as the 'Water' is actually a spicy soup bursting with flavor. Spicy Boiled Pork is known for being Ma La (麻辣), meaning it’s both sizzling and spicy. A tantalizing heat from various Chilies is combined with the numbing, sizzling sensation of Sichuan Peppercorns – the incredible flavors quite literally dance across the tongue and lips.

Though the Chinese name of this dish is ‘Water Boiled Meat Slices,’ the standard Meat is actually Pork. In fact, the word 'Meat' in Chinese is often synonymous with Pork. Other Spicy Boiled Dishes usually specify the type of meat used in the dish. For instance, beef would be called Spicy Boiled Beef (水煮牛肉); chicken would be called Spicy Boiled Chicken (水煮鸡片); and, fish would be known as Spicy Boiled Fish (水煮鱼).

As with most Spicy Boiled Dishes, the amount of ingredients and preparation may seem rather intimidating but the final result is more than worth the effort. It’s best to think of Spicy Boiled Pork as a layered dish; and therefore, the layers are added in stages. These stages are Preparation and Marination, Cooking the Vegetables, Boiling the Meat, Topping the Dish, Splashing with Oil, and Garnishing. Even the Vegetables can be cooked in stages, so that each one is stir-fried to perfection. Set aside plenty of time for this dish and you won’t be disappointed. The end result will be a beautiful bowl with layers of Vegetables, Meat, Soup, and sizzling-spicy Chili Oil.

Prep Time: 35 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 45 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

500 grams Pork Loin

Marinade
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper
1 Egg White
2 – 4 Tbsp. Corn Starch
4 Tbsp. Peanut Oil

Vegetables (Choose Two to Three + Bean Sprouts; About 500 grams Total)
20 – 40 stalks of Chinese Celery (About 100 – 200 grams)
1 stalk of Celtuce (莴笋;About 200 grams when peeled and sliced)
1 bunch of Celtuce Leaves (OR any Leafy Vegetable; About 100 grams)
1 large handful of Bean Sprouts (About 100 grams)

Aromatics and Chilies
6 to 10 Pickled Red Chilies
5 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger

Chili-Oil Toppings
5 Dried Red Chilies
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2 bunch of Cilantro (the Bottom Half with Stalks)
2 – 4 Tbsp. Knife-Cut Chili Flakes
1 tsp. Sesame Seeds

Garnishes
1 clove of Garlic
1 green stalk of Small Scallion (小葱)
1/2 bunch of Cilantro (the Top Half with Leaves)
1 tsp. freshly ground Green Sichuan Pepper

Peanut Oil

4 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste

Sauces and Seasonings
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper

Directions

1.) Prepare the Meat:

• Place the cylindrical Pork Loin on a cutting board with the flat end facing to the side.
• Slice the Pork as thin as possible, preferably no more than 1/8-inch thick, cutting across the grain.
• Place the Pork slices in a bowl filled with water and wash them, ringing out the meat under the water to remove any blood and impurities. Drain the water and repeat until the water runs clear.
• After draining once more, set the Pork slices aside in a large bowl.

2.) Add the Marinade to the Pork slices in stages, mixing everything by hand:

• Add the Shaoxing Rice Wine, Soy Sauce, Salt, and White Pepper to the Pork slices and mix by hand until fully absorbed by the meat.
• Add the Egg to the Pork and mix again by hand until every slice is coated and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Add the Corn Starch, mixing by hand until all the slices are thoroughly coated.
• Finally, add the Peanut Oil and mix gently.
• Allow the Pork slices to rest for about 20 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

3.) Prepare the Vegetables:

• Celery: Cut the Celery into roughly 3 to 4-inch-long pieces, sprinkle them with salt, and allow them to rest a few minutes before draining the excess water. (The Celery can be placed in the same bowl as the slices of Celtuce Stalk).
• Celtuce Leaves: Separate the Celtuce Leaves from the Celtuce Stalk. Wash the leaves, shake them dry thoroughly, and set them in their own bowl.
• Celtuce Stalk: Remove the top and bottom of the Celtuce leaving behind the large cylindrical stalk. Cut the Stalk into thirds creating several small cylinders each about 3 to 4-inches long. Remove the outer hull of the stalk by placing each segment cut-side up on a cutting board and slicing down the length of the stalk 8 times creating an octagonal piece. Use a mandolin to quickly achieve uniformly thin slices or cut the stalks on a bias about an 1/8-inch thick. Place the slices in a bowl and sprinkle them with a heaping tablespoon of Salt, ensuring that every slice is thoroughly coated. Allow the slices to rest for a few minutes to remove excess water. Drain the Celtuce slices before stir-frying them.
• Bean Sprouts: Simply wash the Bean Sprouts, shake off the excess water, and place them in the bowl with Celtuce Leaves.

4.) Prepare the Aromatics and Chilies, placing them all into the same bowl:

• Roughly mince the Pickled Red Chilies.
• Peel and mince the Garlic. (The Garlic for the Chili-Oil Toppings and the Garnishes can also be prepared at this time).
• Peel and mince the Ginger.

(Other common Sichuan Pickles 泡菜can be sliced and cooked along with these including: White Radish, Carrot, Ginger, Garlic, and many others).

5.) Prepare the Chili-Oil Toppings:

• Dried Red Chilies: Snip the Red Chilies into 1/2-inch-pieces and discard most of the seeds. Place Red Chili pieces in a neat pile on the plate.
• Garlic: If not already completed, peel and mince about 2 cloves of Garlic. Then, add them to the plate next to the Red Chili pieces.
• Cilantro: Cut the bunch in half crosswise, set the leafy half aside for the Garnishes, and finely slice the stalks. Place them on the plate next to the Garlic.
• Mala Chili Flakes: Prepare them according to the recipe in the Essentials section of this book if not already made. Place the Mala Chili Flakes in a neat pile on the edge of a plate.
• Sesame Seeds: Add the Sesame Seeds to the plate in a neat pile next to the Chili Flakes.

6.) Prepare the Garnishes:

• Garlic: Peel and finely mince the clove, adding it to the small plate in a neat, little pile.
• Small Scallion: Finely slice the green stalk and set the slices in a neat pile beside the Garlic.
• Cilantro: Roughly chop the top leafy half of the Cilantro bunch, placing it in a pile next to the Scallion.
• Green Sichuan Pepper: Add the Green Sichuan Pepper in a neat pile away from the other Garnishes and keep it dry.

(There should now be 5 dishes: the Meat, the Veggies, the Aromatics, the Chili-Oil Toppings, and the Garnishes).

7.) Heat a seasoned wok over high heat and add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil. When the oil is super-hot and nearly smoking, add the Vegetables along with a pinch of the Aromatics. Stir-fry them for a few minutes until tender-crisp. Add just a pinch of salt, if needed, to taste and then arrange the Vegetables in the bottom of a deep serving dish or bowl. Discard the leftover Oil in the wok after cooking all of the Vegetables and quickly clean out the wok if necessary.

(For the Vegetables, I often stir-fry them in two batches depending on the types of Vegetables. Celtuce Stem and Celery take longer to cook than Bean Sprouts and Leafy Greens. So, I’ll cook the heavier Vegetables first and then the lighter ones. Some chefs forgo this stir-frying step by either blanching the Vegetables or boiling them directly in the spicy soup).

8.) Return the wok to heat, add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil, and heat it on medium-high heat. When hot, add the Aromatics and Chilies to the wok and stir-fry them for just a few seconds until fragrant.

9.) Pull the wok away from the heat, add the Chili Bean Paste, and mix quickly to begin combining the Chili Bean Paste with the Oil. Return the wok to heat and stir-fry just a few seconds until the Paste has fully merged with the Oil.

10.) Immediately pour in 8 cups of Water and bring the Soup to a boil on high heat for about 3 minutes. Then, add all of the Sauces and Seasonings (Dark Soy Sauce, Light Soy Sauce, Salt, MSG, and Ground White Pepper).

(Optionally, use a wire strainer to remove any large pieces of Aromatics for a smoother Soup).

11.) Reduce the heat to medium to keep the Soup at a low boil. Carefully slide the Pork into the Soup and stir gently, separating the pieces. Cook the Pork for about 1 to 2 minutes until just cooked.

(DO NOT OVERCOOK THE PORK. The Pork should be just cooked and will continue to cook even after it’s transferred to the serving dish. The residual heat from cooking, the boiling-hot Soup, and searing-hot Oil will all cook the Pork slightly more).

12.) Turn off the heat and use a large slotted spoon to scoop the Pork out of the Soup. Arrange the Pork in the middle of the serving dish on top of the Vegetables and pour the hot Soup in around the sides.

13.) Sprinkle the Chili-Oil Toppings (Mala Chili Flakes, Dried Red Chilies, Garlic, Cilantro, and Sesame Seeds) over the meat, but add the majority in the center.

(Add these Toppings in the order listed. Add most to the center of the dish, because as the hot Oil hits, these toppings will spread out to the edges of the Soup. The hot oil will turn these into an extremely fragrant chili oil. This sizzling step can be shown off to guests as a fun pre-meal spectacle – though be aware small droplets of the hot Oil will like splatter on the table around the dish).

14.) Quickly switch to a deep skillet, small sauce pan, or clean wok and add 2 cups of Peanut Oil. Heat the Oil until smoking, go quickly to the dish, and ladle the hot Oil over the Chilies and Cilantro until a nice layer of sizzling Oil covers the entire dish.

(Not all of this Oil needs to be used, but about one cup of it should be added. There should be a decent layer of Oil on top of the dish. Everything will sizzle dramatically as the Oil fuses the flavors of the toppings with the Soup. Obviously, be safe when adding hot oil to the dish).

15.) Finally, add the Garnishes (Green Sichuan Pepper, Garlic, Scallion, and Cilantro) in the order listed and then serve the delicious Spicy Boiled Pork along with individual bowls of white rice.

 

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