GOING OUT TO a Sichuan restaurant was always a special affair for my family when I was a child. Seated at an enormous round table, we would enjoy a seemingly endless array of food adorned with bright chiles, mouth-tingling sauces, and fiery broth. I always favored one dish in particular: twice-cooked pork. Its tender pieces of meat, complex crimson sauce, and inherent savoriness captivated me.
Observing that I always ordered the same thing, my dad became determined to re-create the dish at home. For months, I watched him experiment in the kitchen with an array of chili pastes lined up on the counter. After many taste tests (in which I eagerly participated), I concluded that not only was my dad the best chef in the world, but that now, finally, he held the secret to the best twice‑cooked pork.
While developing this recipe, I drew inspiration
