Description
Sichuan cuisine famously has 24 flavor profiles, and the homestyle is, well, probably the most 'homestyle' of them all.
0:00 - What's homestyle flavor?
1:21 - Re Purchasing Pixian Doubanjiang
1:59 - Soupy Homestyle Ribs
4:02 - Saucy Homestyle Beans
6:08 - Fried Homestyle Pork
7:40 - What about the packs of Pixian
FULL WRITTEN RECIPES
...*will* be over on Substack in about two weeks, when we cover Pixian. For now, here ya go:
BRAISED RIBS
Roughly mince:
* 1 tbsp (20g) Pixian Doubanjiang, Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (郫县豆瓣酱)
Smash:
* 1 inch ginger
Heat on medium high, to a braising pot, add in
* 2 tbsp oil
* 650g ribs, chopped across the bone into ~1 inch sections
and fry over a medium-high flame. Once the ribs have changed color (~5 minutes), add in the smashed ginger. Continue to fry until the ribs have turned lightly golden brown.
Swap the flame to low, and add in the Pixian Doubanjiang. Fry until all the ribs are coated in red oil. Then add in:
* 1 liter hot water
* 1 scallion gently wrapped into a knot
* ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorn (花椒)
* 2 tbsp soy sauce
* ½ tsp salt
* ¼ tsp sugar
Turn the heat to medium low, braise for 1 hour. While it’s braising, peel
* 500g daikon
and cut into ~1-inch pieces. After the ribs been braised for an hour, add in the daikon, let them cook together for half an hour.
After that time, season with
* ¼ tsp MSG (味精)
* ¼ tsp chicken bouillon powder (鸡精)
And thicken with a slurry of
* 2 tsp starch, preferably potato starch
* 2 tsp water
Optionally garnish with a bit of cilantro, and/or an additional sprinkle of ~¼ tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder.
BRAISED GREEN BEANS
Take
* 400g Green beans good for braising, e.g. Chinese Bai Bu Lao Romano beans or Italian Romano beans
and snap off the tips, and remove the strings. Snap your bean into one inch sections.
Roughly mince:
* 1 tbsp (20g) Pixian Doubanjiang, Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (郫县豆瓣酱)
Slice
* 100g pork belly
into ~3mm sheets.
To fry, to a hot wok, swirl in
* 2 tbsp oil
and fry the pork belly over medium high. Once the pork begins to get slightly golden and release a bit of its oil (2-3 minutes), add in the beans. Heat on medium high, add the pork in, fry until it turns slightly golden brown and starts to release some oil.
Fry everything until the beans have changed color, ~1 minute. Scooch everything up the side of the wok and swap the flame to low.
Add in the Pixian Doubanjiang. Fry on low until it stains the oil red (~1 minute), then fry everything together for a minute or so. Swap the flame to high, and swirl in
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
and mix well. Add
* 2 cups water, stock, or a combination
and turn the heat to medium. Cover with a breathable lid (or slightly crack the lid if yours is heavy), braise for 15 minutes. The braise should be running at a light to medium boil.
Season with
* ⅛ tsp MSG
* ⅛ tsp white pepper powder
and thicken with a slurry of
* ½ tbsp starch, preferably potato starch
* ½ tbsp water
or until thickened to your liking.
FRIED PORK
Chop
* 4 stalks green garlic (蒜苗), preferably, -or- scallion
into one inch sections. If using green garlic (~120g worth, in this case), first smash the white part flat before chopping. Reserve.
Roughly mince
* 1 tbsp (20g) Pixian Doubanjiang, Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (郫县豆瓣酱)
and reserve.
Slice
* 400g pork loin
into 3mm sheets, then marinate with
* ½ tsp starch
* ⅛ tsp white pepper
* ¼ tsp dark soy sauce
* ½ tsp Liaojiu, a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒)
Mix well and coat with
* 2 tbsp oil
To fry, to a hot wok swirl in
* 4 tbsp oil
and fry the pork over a medium high flame. Fry until the pork has changed color, at least ~90% cooked, ~2 minutes. Remove the pork and swap the flame to low.
Add in the Pixian Doubanjiang. Fry until stained, ~1 minute. Add back in the pork and mix well. Swap the flame to high. Brief mix, then swirl in
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
and fry for another minute. Add in the green garlic (or scallion). Fry until the green garlic has changed color and cooked through (~30 seconds), or once the scallion is wilted.
Finish with a seasoning of
* ¼ tsp MSG (味精)
Mix well, heat off, and out.
______
And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!
https://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified
Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ
Found via My Analog Journal (great channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s