Hunan Chilli Fried Pork

Xiǎo chǎo ròu (small-wok pork stir-fry) is, by most measures, the dish most frequently ordered at Hunan restaurants — the number-one-selling item at restaurants from Changsha to Beijing. Its dominance is not a mystery: the combination of charred pork belly fat, fresh chilli and fermented black bean is straightforward, satisfying and deeply savoury, and it comes together in under five minutes of cooking.

Thinly sliced pork belly — the three-layered variety with alternating fat and lean — goes into a dry wok over very high heat with no added oil. The pork renders its own fat as it cooks, and the slices are left undisturbed briefly until the fat layer begins to crisp and the lean edges start to char. This dry-frying step is non-negotiable: it creates a texture and flavour in the fat that braising or steaming does not produce. Once the fat has crisped and the pork is lightly charred at the edges, it is pushed aside in the wok.

Fresh long green chillies (Hunan xiǎo mǐ là variety) are added whole or sliced and fried briefly — these chillies contribute fragrance and a moderate heat that is distinct from the dried-chilli heat of Sichuan cooking or the raw bite of raw chilli. They are relatively mild by Thai standards and are consumed as a vegetable rather than just a seasoning. Fermented black beans (douchi), garlic, a splash of soy sauce and sometimes a little Shaoxing wine finish the seasoning.

The result is a plate of charred, slightly fatty pork with tender-softened green chillies, intensely savoury from the fermented black bean. It is eaten with plain steamed rice. Versions at home and at informal canteens are identical — there is no elaborate restaurant version.