La Rou Chao Sun Gan (腊肉炒笋干)

In Hunan's mountain counties, whole sides of pork are cured in salt and cold-smoked over pine and rice husks each winter, producing la rou — an intensely flavoured preserved pork with a deep mahogany exterior. Stir-fried with reconstituted sun gan (dried bamboo shoots), the dish is a study in textural contrast: smoky, fatty pork against chewy, earthy bamboo, unified by dried chilli heat.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 250g (9 oz) Hunan la rou (Chinese cured smoked pork belly) — or substitute with Spanish pancetta + ½ tsp liquid smoke
• 100g (3.5 oz) sun gan (dried bamboo shoots)
• 3 dried red chillies (er jing tiao or facing heaven), torn
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 spring onions, cut into 3cm (1 in) lengths
• 1 tbsp (15ml) neutral oil (the la rou renders its own fat)

Instructions

1. Soak the dried bamboo shoots in cold water for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Drain, rinse, and simmer in fresh water 20 minutes. Drain and tear into thin strips along the grain.
2. Slice the la rou into 3mm (⅛ in) thin strips or bite-sized chunks. If the skin is very tough, simmer the whole piece 15 minutes before slicing.
3. Heat a wok over medium heat. Add la rou and stir-fry in its own rendered fat 4–5 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the fat is translucent. Remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the wok.
4. Raise heat to high. Add a splash of neutral oil if needed. Fry dried chillies and garlic 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add bamboo strips and stir-fry 3–4 minutes until heated through and beginning to char at the edges.
6. Return la rou to the wok. Add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and sugar. Toss everything together vigorously over high heat 1–2 minutes.
7. Add spring onions, toss once, and plate immediately.

Cook's Notes: Authentic Hunan la rou is available from Chinese supermarkets, often vacuum-packed. The dried bamboo shoots need thorough soaking to remove bitterness — taste after simmering and rinse again if needed. This dish is intentionally salty — serve over plain steamed rice to balance.