Jiangxi Triple Cooked Pork

This Jiangxi triple cooked pork belly dish is a very traditional and popular dish I learned from my ex mother-in-law. She cooked this dish a few times a year and as the youngest daughter-in-law I was terrified not only of this matriarch but of the oil spits!

She came to ‘Nanyang’ aka the old thermology for ‘Southeast Asia’ as in this case, Malaysia when she was in her 20s with 3 children on board an extremely small space on a Chinese junk because she was worried the father-in-law will look for a new wife! That was in the early 20th century.

She was an amazing woman and I am lucky to have learnt a few special Jiangxi home dishes from her after I overcame my initial fright and learned to speak the Jiangxi dialect.

This traditional homey triple cooked pork belly is one I have not seen in any recipe on the net or cook books. it is simple but oh so delicious! Mother-in-law cooked this on special occasion like festivals days only.

In Chinese it is called “Hui Guo Rou”, (回锅肉) , meaning the meat to be returned to the wok and to be cooked again. However this time not twice but triple cooked. That is, first boiled, second fried in oil and then stewed (simmered).

When she was cooking this dish I was always scared, the oil spitting and cleaning! It was scary! The huge amount of garlic to be minced finely, else we, the other sister-in-law and I will get THE look!

When it come to eating time, no one dare to take more than twice, aka 2 pieces or we get the matriarch’s STARE.

Today I have from my garden gathered some home grown spring onions and garlic. I am so happy to have my first harvest of garlic this year! I will definitely plant more next year! I wanted to use my garlic for a good dish, the best dish and I decided to pay homage to both my ex deceased mother-in-law and my home grown garlic.

This is also to document this Jiangxi triple cooked pork dish least I forget in my dotage.