Hunan Chilli Pork

Hunan is a province located in the south-central part of China. Hunan cuisine is well known for its hot spicy flavour, fresh aroma and deep colour with liberal use of chilli peppers, shallots and garlic. We first came across this cuisine some 20 years ago in a restaurant in Brisbane serving fiery Hunan food. Chilli Pork is one of our favourites.  

It is hot, spicy, delicious and appetite stimulating. Although the star of this dish is the chilli,  I have scaled down the amount of chillies used as I have only a moderate tolerance for chilli.  My view is chilli should be used to stimulate the palate but not to the extent of numbing it completely. Note: Apparently, some studies have indicated that spices provide a host of health benefits, especially chilli peppers - raise metabolic rate, which in turn slow down weight gain, can help kill cancer cells, also been found to help de-congest sinuses, etc.

INGREDIENTS

• 300 gm pork belly

• Marinade:

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon light soya sauce

  • 1 teaspoon dark soya sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cornflour

• 1 teaspoon five spice powder

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 2 cloves garlic (sliced)

• 2 dried chillies (de-seeded, unless you like it real hot)

• 5 fresh mushrooms (quartered)

• 2 stalks asparagus

• 6 cherry tomatoes

• 1 handful bean-sprouts

METHOD

1. Marinade pork belly for at least half an hour.

2. Steam pork belly for 30 minutes. Remove steamed pork and reserve steamed juices.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut pork belly into thin slices. Season sliced pork with five spice powder.

4. Add oil to frying pan and fry sliced garlic till golden.  Remove garlic and add sliced pork and dried chillies and fry pork till light brown.  Remove.

5. Add mushrooms to the pan and fry till golden, adding a bit of oil if required.  Keep stir frying for a couple of minutes each time you add asparagus, followed by cherry tomatoes and then bean-sprouts.

6. Lastly, put the pork, garlic and chillies back into the pan and add the reserved steamed juices. Simmer for 3 minutes.  Chilli pork goes well with steamed rice.