Chongqing Double Cooked Pork Slices

Chongqing double cooked pork slices is a branch of traditional Chinese cuisine and is a famous dish in Chongqing because of its long history and popularity among citizens. It is believed that every family in Chongqing is able to prepare this dish, there is a saying that “if you visit Chengdu and have not eaten Chongqing Double cooked pork slices, then you not have actually visited Chongqing.” This dish is also chosen first for family get-togethers. Now there are many types of the dish; Dry beans double cooked pork slices, red pepper double cooked pork slices, fiddlehead double cooked pork slices, etc.

Legend has it that this dish was made only during the New Year Festival and Lantern Festival in former Sichuan Province; the cooking method was to first simmer the meat in water with spices until cooked, then stir fry it with vegetables in a wok. During the Qing Dynasty, there was a Mr. Lin, who was dedicated to cooking because of a misfortune he had encountered in career. He decided changed the method of cooking the dish by first blanching the meat briefly, then steaming it in a sealed pot until it’s cooked, and lastly, stir-frying the meat afterwards. This method of cooking reduces the loss of protein content, and keeps the pleasant aroma of the meat. This cooking method quickly gained popularity and began to spread.