Hui guo rou, or 'return to the pot pork', is often called Sichuan's most iconic home-cooked dish, and once you've made it you'll understand why. Pork belly is simmered until just cooked, sliced thin, then seared hard in a hot wok until the edges curl and crisp — that's the 'twice cooked' part — before being tossed through a fragrant, savoury sauce built on fermented bean paste and leek.
The magic here is texture and contrast: chewy-crisp pork against soft leek and capsicum, all clinging to a glossy, deeply savoury sauce with just enough heat to keep things interesting. It's rustic, punchy and completely moreish.
This isn't a fussy dish at all — most of the work is the initial simmer, which you can do well ahead of time. When you're ready to eat, it's a five-minute sear and toss.
