Sichuan Chinese Bacon Recipe - How to Make Chinese Bacon (2024)

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4.75 from 4 votes

By Hank Shaw

March 22, 2011 | Updated March 27, 2021

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Sichuan Chinese Bacon Recipe - How to Make Chinese Bacon (2)

When I first saw this recipe for Chinese bacon in Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking, I knew I had to make it. I am fascinated by charcuterie that is outside the Western tradition. Most of us who do charcuterie stick to Italian or French or German traditions, and, less often, Spanish, Eastern European or, maybe, Middle Eastern cured meats.

China is a world unto itself, and, as Dunlop says, there are scores of bacon styles in that pork-loving country, each with its own mixture of spices and aromatic woods. This recipe is a riff off hers, although my method is considerably different.

You will need nitrite for this recipe, which you can buy online or in some good butcher shops. If you don’t use nitrites here, you will need to smoke the bacon at a much higher temperature, closer to 225°F than the 140°F I do. (If you are scared of nitrites, please do yourself a favor and read this excellent article on the fake “no nitrites” labeling.)

You will also need Sichuan peppercorns and Shaoxing wine to make this bacon, although a dry sherry is a fine substitute for the Chinese wine.

You really, really need to smoke this bacon. It’s OK unsmoked, but it takes on something magical when those Asian spices — cinnamon, cloves, star anise — mingle with wood smoke. You can smoke the pork as long or as little as you want, but please do your best to put this puppy in some sort of smoker.

What to serve it with? Anything, really. It’s awesome in braised dishes, like Chinese Red-Braised Pork, in stir-fry, with greens — or hell, just as sliced baconin the morning with your eggs. It’s bacon, people. You’ll find something to do with it…

4.75 from 4 votes

Sichuan Chinese Bacon

You can usually get big slabs of pork belly from local pork producers at your farmer's markets, or any decent butcher can order you one. You do need some curing salt No. 1 for this recipe, which you can buy online. Once made, this will keep about 2 weeks in the fridge, and indefinitely in the freezer.

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Course: Cured Meat

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 12

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork belly, skin on or off
  • 1/2 cup 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 27 grams kosher salt, about 3 level tablespoons
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns, ground
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 5 star anise pods, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 grams Instacure No. 1, about a heaping 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions

  • Moisten the pork belly with the Shaoxing wine. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and rub into the meat, making sure all surfaces are coated.

  • Put the pork into a large sealable plastic bag, or vacuum seal bag, or just a plastic or glass container just about large enough to contain it. Sprinkle over any remaining cure, seal the container up and put in the fridge.

  • Every day for 5 days, turn the bacon over. After 5 days, check to see if the bacon is firm. If it is not firm throughout, give it up to another 2 days in the fridge.

  • Take the bacon out, rinse off the cure and pat it dry. Set the bacon out on a rack to dry, preferably in a cool, airy place. Let it sit for 1-3 hours.

  • Smoke the bacon over the wood of your choice. I try to keep the smoker as cool as possible because you don't want to fully cook this bacon; less than 200 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. It is supposed to be very smoky, so go for at least 4 hours. Remove it from the smoker when it's as smoky as you like, then let it cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge or freezing it.

Notes

This recipe makes about 3 pounds of bacon.

Nutrition

Calories: 619kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 911mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
Asian, Charcuterie, Recipe

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Sichuan Chinese Bacon Recipe - How to Make Chinese Bacon (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese bacon made of? ›

Like a lot of bacon from around the world, Chinese bacon is made from pork belly and less frequently, from shoulder. It is either air-cured with soy sauce, brown sugar, and spices (like star anise and cinnamon) until it's very hard, or it's cured for a shorter period of time before being smoked.

What is the difference between Chinese and American bacon? ›

In China, bacon is known as “lop yuk.” Unlike bacon in the United States, Chinese-style bacon usually originates from pork loin instead of belly. The bacon is then salted and cured, before being sold in markets throughout the country. Don't expect to see lop yuk as part of a BLT in China, though.

What is Chinese cured meat? ›

Dry-brined, hung outside to wind-cure and then smoked over cypress branches, traditional Sichuan larou is a homemade Lunar New Year specialty rife with memory. The history of Chinese cured pork belly dates back over 2,500 years to the Zhou dynasty.

How is Chinese crystal bacon made? ›

The invention discloses a preparation process of crystal bacon, which comprises the following steps: unfreezing and cleaning are carried out; dietary alkali is added into water with the temperature of 50 to 60 DEG C, the pH value is regulated to 10 to 12, pigskin is put in and soaked for 5 to 10min, and flushed by ...

Why is Japanese bacon different? ›

Bacon in Japan is different from that in the US in that the meat is not sold raw, but is processed, precooked and has a ham-like consistency when cooked. Uncured, sliced pork belly, known as bara (バラ), is very popular in Japan and is used in a variety of dishes (e.g. yakitori and yakiniku).

How is authentic Chinese food different from Americanized Chinese food? ›

Sichuan chefs use a lot of spice; people in western China prefer lamb over pork; northern Chinese go heavy on the dough; Shanghai cuisine uses plenty of sugar; you can barely get through a meal of any sort in Hong Kong without some seafood. American-Chinese food just happens to be meaty, deep-fried and saucy.

Does authentic Chinese food have sugar in it? ›

Chinese people have used sugar to give flavour, structure and texture to their cuisine for centuries. Sugarcane is a major crop in southern China, especially in the Guangxi, Yunnan and Hainan provinces, and in western Guangdong.

Why is Chinese food different in China? ›

As mentioned before, due to geographical and climate differences in China, each area has its own way of cooking and different eating habits. Northern China has cold and damp weather, and therefore people there eat more hot and spicy foods such as chilies, onions, and garlic.

What do Chinese use to tenderize meat? ›

There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts. “People go for either egg white or baking soda as they are both alkaline ingredients.

What is the most famous meat in China? ›

Pork dominates China's meat market. In 2022, it took up more than 50 percent of the domestic meat consumption. China is by far the world's largest pork producer, consumer, and importer.

What is the difference between char siu and siu yuk? ›

Char siu is barbecued roast pork, whereas siu yuk is roasted crispy pork belly. Not only do they use different parts of the pig — my dad likes to use pork butt for char siu and pork belly for siu yuk — but they're also prepared differently and have varying flavor profiles and textures.

What is pork belly in Cantonese? ›

豬腩肉 (zyu1 naam5 juk6 | ) : pork belly - CantoDict.

Is pork belly what bacon is made from? ›

Bacon can come from a pig's belly, back or sides ⁠— essentially anywhere that has an exceptionally high fat content. In the United Kingdom, back bacon is most common, but Americans are more familiar with “streaky” bacon, also known as side bacon, which is cut from pork belly.

What is meat free bacon made of? ›

Plant-based bacon style rashers made from soy and pea protein. Water, Soya Protein Concentrate (22%), Soya Protein Isolate (7%), Flavouring, Pea Protein Isolate (4%), Vegetable Extracts (Radish, Beetroot, Carrot, Paprika), Salt, Potato Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Maltodextrin, Iron, Vitamin B12, Acid: Citric Acid.

What part of the cow is bacon? ›

As previously mentioned, beef bacon can be made from various cuts, including the belly, brisket, and round. Pederson's Natural Farms makes its Uncured Hickory Smoked Beef Bacon from the round, a cut from the hind, and one of the leanest cuts, making beef bacon lower in fat than traditional bacon.

Why is bacon so yum? ›

Glutamate is found in many foods, but it's especially abundant in bacon. The high concentration of glutamate is why bacon tastes so savory and delicious. It's also why some people find bacon addictive. The human body craves foods high in umami because they are a source of important nutrients.

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