Ingredients
500 g (about 1 lb) pork, 50 g (about 1/3 cup) fresh peas, 75 g (about 1/2 cup) rice flour, 25 g (about 2 tablespoons) cold broth.
Seasonings
20 g brown sugar, 15 g each of spicy broad bean paste, soy sauce, fermented tofu liquid, and fermented rice wine (or Shaoxing wine), 10 g each of ginger and scallion, 2 g each of salt and Sichuan peppercorns.
Instructions
1. Place the rice and Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over low heat, dry-fry until cooked through, then grind into a coarse powder. Scrape and wash the pork belly clean, then slice into pieces about 10 cm long, 4 cm wide, and 0.4 cm thick. Place the slices in a bowl and mix well with salt, soy sauce, brown sugar syrup, fermented rice wine, spicy broad bean paste, minced ginger, and fermented tofu liquid. Add the ground rice powder and toss to coat evenly. Let the meat marinate for a short while, then arrange the slices in a steaming bowl in a neat overlapping pattern resembling a sealed book.
2. Wash the peas and place them in a bowl, then mix with salt, rice flour, and cold broth until well combined. Spread this mixture over the pork, then steam in a bamboo steamer over high heat for about two hours. Once done, invert the dish onto a serving plate, sprinkle with chopped scallions, and serve. This dish has a glossy red color, a savory flavor with a hint of spiciness, and a soft, sticky texture that is wonderfully satisfying.