Sichuan Poached Pork Slices (Shui Zhu Rou Pian)

Combine 4 cloves of garlic, 4 slices of ginger, the white part of 4 scallions, and 3 tablespoons of water in a food processor. Blend until finely chopped. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid for the pork marinade and the chopped aromatics for the spicy broth.

Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the reserved aromatic liquid (from Step 1) and mix well to create a slurry. This will be the base for the velveted marinade.

Slice 350g (12.3 oz) of pork loin thinly into 1/8-inch thick pieces. In a bowl, combine the sliced pork with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, the aromatic water (from Step 1) and cornstarch slurry (from Step 2), and 1 egg white. Stir gently in one direction until the pork absorbs all the liquid. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a wok over low heat. Add 2/3 cup of dry red chilies and stir-fry for 1 minute until slightly darker. Then add 1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove the chilies and peppercorns from the wok, leaving the oil behind. Carefully chop them on a cutting board, keeping the chilies larger and crushing the peppercorns finely. Set aside for garnish.

Prepare 113g (4 oz) of bean sprouts, 113g (4 oz) of Chinese celery (cut into stalks), and 113g (4 oz) of stem lettuce (cut into pieces).

Heat the wok (using residual oil from step 4). Add the bean sprouts, Chinese celery, and stem lettuce. Toss over high heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly tender-crisp. Transfer the stir-fried vegetables to a large serving bowl and spread them evenly at the bottom.

To the same wok, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and the reserved minced aromatics (garlic, ginger, scallion white part from step 1). Stir-fry until fragrant. Add 1/2 tablespoon of red chili flakes, 3 tablespoons of Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang, and 1 tablespoon of Chinese fermented chopped chilies (Duo Jiao). Stir-fry for a few minutes until the oil turns red and fragrant. Pour in 3 cups of water or beef stock and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes to combine flavors. Optionally, use a sieve to fish out the solid ingredients for a cleaner broth.

Add the marinated pork slices to the simmering broth. Gently stir to loosen the slices and prevent them from sticking together. Keep the heat at a medium-low simmer for about 1 minute, ensuring not to overcook the pork. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed (it should be salty enough from the sauces).

Transfer the poached pork slices into the serving bowl on top of the vegetables. Pour the spicy broth over the pork and vegetables. Garnish with 2 tablespoons of diced garlic, 2 tablespoons of diced scallion (green part), 2 tablespoons of cilantro, and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds. Top with the prepared chopped dry red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns (from step 4).

Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a clean pan or the wok until smoking hot. Carefully pour the hot oil over the garnishes in the serving bowl, creating a sizzling sound and releasing the aromatics.