Chungking Pork (重庆猪肉)

Slicing the pork tenderloin thin against the grain is the technique that ensures tender meat. Tenderloin's muscle fibers run lengthwise; slicing perpendicular to those fibers (across the grain) cuts them into short segments that are easy to chew. A 10-minute stint in the freezer before slicing firms the meat just enough that paper-thin slices become possible.

The cornstarch coating (called velveting in some sources) creates a thin protective layer that holds in moisture during the aggressive wok heat. Without this coating, lean pork tenderloin dries out in seconds at high heat. The cornstarch absorbs the marinade liquid and forms a gel-like coating that becomes silky after cooking.

Cooking the fermented black beans briefly in oil with ginger and garlic at the start (before any vegetables go in) is essential. This brief sauté blooms the fermented flavors — releases the aromatic compounds and integrates the umami into the oil. Adding black beans late produces a dish where they sit as discrete chunks rather than infused throughout.

High heat throughout, with no time for any ingredient to release moisture. The wok must be smoking before anything goes in. Pork sears quickly, vegetables go in fast, sauce hits at the end. Total cook time is under 12 minutes from first ingredient to plate. This is essential for the Sichuan stir-fry style — slow cooking would produce stewed pork in muddy sauce.

The hoisin-soy combination at the end provides depth without overwhelming. Hoisin's sweetness counterbalances the heat; soy adds salt and umami. Together they create the sauce that distinguishes this from generic spicy pork — Sichuan-Chongqing flavor profiles always pair heat with sweet and umami, never heat alone.

Pork tenderloin: Pork shoulder (sliced thin) works but is fattier and chewier. Boneless pork loin chops work but tend to be tougher. Chicken thigh substitutes well and produces a different but excellent dish. Beef sirloin or flank works and pushes the dish toward Hunan rather than Chongqing.

Fermented black beans: Jarred black bean garlic sauce works in a pinch (use 2 tablespoons in place of 1 tablespoon dry beans, and reduce added soy). Doubanjiang (Sichuan chili-bean paste) substitutes for a different but equally Sichuan flavor profile.

Crushed red pepper: Use Chinese chili flakes if available — slightly larger flakes with more fruity heat than standard crushed red pepper. Sichuan chili oil with sediment is an excellent substitute. For extreme heat, add a few dried Tianjin or Sichuan facing-heaven chilies.

Hoisin sauce: Sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang) is the more authentic Chongqing choice but harder to find. Hoisin is the standard supermarket substitute. Plum sauce is too fruity. A combination of sweet soy and a pinch of sugar approximates.

Cabbage: Napa cabbage, bok choy, or savoy cabbage all work. Some versions use Chinese broccoli or snow peas.

Bell pepper: Any color works. Some versions use celery, green beans, or carrots.

Sichuan peppercorn: Optional but traditional addition — a teaspoon of crushed Sichuan peppercorn (huājiāo) adds the signature numbing tingle that makes Sichuan cooking distinctive. Tianjin chili and Sichuan peppercorn together produce the málà (numbing-spicy) flavor profile.

Soy sauce: Light soy is standard. A teaspoon of dark soy adds color depth. Tamari works for gluten-free needs.

Chungking pork is a classic Sichuan home-style stir-fry, meant to be served over steamed jasmine rice as a one-bowl meal or as part of a larger Chinese spread. The rice is essential — it tempers the heat and catches the flavorful sauce. Plain rice, not seasoned, is the right choice.

For a more elaborate Sichuan dinner, pair with mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, a cold dish like smacked cucumber salad, and a clear soup. The combination of spicy mains and cooling sides is the canonical Sichuan banquet structure.

For a casual home dinner, serve with rice and a quick stir-fried green vegetable like Chinese broccoli or bok choy. A bowl of steamed eggs on the side provides cooling contrast to the heat.

Pair with cold light beer (Tsingtao, Yanjing, or any pilsner) — the canonical pairing for Sichuan food. Carbonation helps with the heat. Hot Chinese tea (jasmine or oolong) also works well. Avoid wine — most clash with the chili-and-fermented-bean flavor profile.

Set out a small dish of Chinese black vinegar for diners who want to drizzle over rice — this is a traditional Sichuan accompaniment that brightens the dish and provides acid contrast to the heat.

Refrigerator: Stores well for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavor genuinely improves over 24 hours as the chili and black bean flavors continue to develop and the pork absorbs more sauce.

Reheating: A hot wok or large skillet with a splash of water for 2 to 3 minutes restores most of the texture. Microwaving works in a pinch — cover loosely and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between.

Make-ahead components: The pork can be sliced and marinated up to 24 hours in advance. The vegetables can be cut and stored separately for up to 2 days. The sauce mixture can be combined a day ahead. The actual cooking is 12 minutes — easily a weeknight meal with prep done.

Freezing: Freezes acceptably for up to 2 months. The pork holds up well; the vegetables suffer slightly in texture. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a hot wok.

Spice management: If reheating leftovers, the heat may seem more intense the next day as the chili has had time to infuse fully. A spoonful of Chinese black vinegar at the end of reheating brightens the dish and balances the accumulated heat.

Chongqing cuisine (重慶菜, Chóngqìng cài) is technically a subcategory of broader Sichuan cooking (川菜) but has developed enough distinctive characteristics to be considered a regional style in its own right. The cuisine is famous for some of the spiciest food in China — even more aggressive than the rest of Sichuan — with dishes like Chongqing chicken (làzi jī), hot pot (huǒguō), and noodles in chili oil defining the region's culinary identity.

Chongqing is a massive municipality (one of four direct-controlled cities in China, alongside Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin) sitting at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. The hot, humid climate and historic port city status produced a cooking tradition built on dried chilies (more shelf-stable than fresh in the humidity), Sichuan peppercorn (which historically helped preserve food), and fermented bean products (also shelf-stable and umami-rich).

This dish — pork tenderloin with fermented black beans and chili — represents the home-style end of Chongqing cooking. The technique is everyday rather than special-occasion: fast wok stir-frying, minimal special equipment, ingredients available in any Chinese market. It is the kind of dish that any Chongqing home cook makes regularly.

The use of fermented black beans (douchi) and chili together appears in many Sichuan-Chongqing pork preparations, including twice-cooked pork (huíguō ròu) and fish-fragrant pork (yúxiāng ròusī). The combination is one of the foundational flavor pairings of the regional cuisine.

The romanization "Chungking" reflects the older Wade-Giles system that was standard in English-language texts before the adoption of Hanyu Pinyin in the mid-20th century. Most modern English texts use "Chongqing," but "Chungking" survives on many Chinese restaurant menus, particularly older Cantonese-American establishments that adopted the cuisine before pinyin became standard. The dish "Chungking pork" is sometimes considered a Cantonese-American adaptation of Sichuan-Chongqing cooking, but the technique and ingredients are authentic to the region.