Ingredients
500 g pork hind leg meat, 200 g white radish (daikon).
Seasonings
25 g vegetable oil, 20 g Pixian broad bean paste, 15 g each sesame oil and scallions, 10 g each soy sauce, ginger, and dried chili peppers, 3 g Sichuan peppercorns, 2 g MSG.
Instructions
1. Scrape and wash the pork clean, then boil it in boiling water, skimming off any foam. Add Sichuan peppercorns, scallions (tied into knots), and ginger (smashed), and cook until the meat is just tender. Remove and let cool, then use a sharp knife to slice it into thin pieces about 10 cm (4 inches) long. Peel the radish, wash it, and cut into slices about 7 cm (2.75 inches) long, 3 cm (1.2 inches) wide, and 0.3 cm (1/8 inch) thick. Place the radish slices into the pork broth, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until the radish is soft and tender. Add the pork slices, cook together for a few more minutes, then add MSG to taste and remove from the heat.
2. Heat a wok over high heat, add vegetable oil and heat until hot, then add dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until they turn a reddish-brown color, then remove and finely chop them; finely chop the broad bean paste, stir-fry it in the wok until fragrant and the oil turns red, then add the chopped dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, stir-fry to combine, remove to a bowl, and mix in soy sauce, MSG, and sesame oil to create a sesame oil and broad bean paste dipping sauce, then serve alongside the soup. This soup has a milky white, sweet and savory broth, with pork slices that are perfectly balanced between lean and fatty, and tender, fragrant radish.