Sichuan Sticky Rice With Cured Pork Belly (Jiumi Fan, 酒米饭)
The Mala MarketIngredients
- 3 ounces (90 grams) la rou
- 1 cup short grain sweet (sticky) rice
- ¾ cup green peas
- dash freshly ground Sichuan pepper (see note)
Instructions
- Wash the la rou, scrubbing to remove excess surface oil. Wash the rice thoroughly to prevent clumping once it's cooked: rinse until the water runs mostly clear. Transfer the rice and la rou to two separate bowls, cover each with about 1 inch of water, and soak them for 1–2 hours. (About halfway through soaking, drain the bowl with the la rou and add fresh water.)
- Drain the rice before prepping other ingredients. (We let it sit in a strainer over a bowl until needed.) Drain the la rou, shaking off excess water. Halve the piece of la rou, quarter each strip and then slice or roughly cube each piece. (You should end up with about ½ cup.)
- Heat your wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add the la rou, stir-frying until it is fragrant and crisp at the edges and the oil has rendered. Add the drained rice and stir-fry for about 3 minutes in the rendered oil, tossing constantly to avoid rice sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Immediately transfer the entire mixture to a rice cooker, adding 1 cup of water. (The water should just cover the rice, with no more than ½ centimeter of extra water on top.) Steam the mixture on the "white rice" setting until done. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before opening.
- While the cooked rice is resting, boil a few inches of water in a sauce pot. Add the peas and cook them for a couple minutes, until tender. Drain well.
- Just before serving the rice, add the drained peas and the ground Sichuan pepper; mix everything with a wide spatula to avoid breaking the peas. Serve and enjoy while hot! (Sticky rice hardens quickly once uncovered.)
Notes
Ground Sichuan pepper: Sort Sichuan peppercorns and discard any black seeds or twigs. Toast in a dry skillet until pods start to smell very fragrant, but do not brown them. Let peppercorns cool, then grind in a spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle to your desired coarseness. Sichuan pepper powder will retain its potent flavor and numbing punch for only a few weeks.