HunanEasy 25 min serves 3

Home-Style Pork with Peppers (农家小炒肉)

Name: Home-Style Pork with Peppers (农家小炒肉)
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Hunan
Ingredients: pork belly (or collar), thinly sliced; green chilies (long hot peppers or banana peppers); garlic, smashed; fermented black beans (douchi, optional); light soy sauce; dark soy sauce; Shaoxing wine; neutral oil

农家小炒肉 · nóng jiā xiǎo chǎo ròu

家庭快手版 · Home version: The farmhouse version is pure pork belly + green chilies + garlic, fast and aggressive. Restaurant versions add black bean paste (douchi) and a splash of stock for extra depth.

Nongjia xiaochao rou — 'farmhouse stir-fried pork' — is what Hunan grandmothers cook when they want dinner on the table in twenty minutes. Paper-thin pork belly, seared until the fat turns glassy, then tossed with blistered green chilies and a fistful of garlic. The whole dish is built on one idea: high heat, no fuss, and pork fat doing the heavy lifting.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More pork recipes →Quick & Easy Spicy

Ingredients

pork belly (or collar), thinly sliced五花肉（或梅花肉）🛒 local300 g
green chilies (long hot peppers or banana peppers)青尖椒🛒 local200 g
garlic, smashed蒜瓣🛒 local5 cloves
fermented black beans (douchi, optional)豆豉（可选）🏮 asian1 tsp
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian1 tbsp
dark soy sauce老抽🏮 asian1/2 tsp
Shaoxing wine料酒🏮 asian1 tbsp
neutral oil食用油🛒 local1 tbsp

pork belly (or collar), thinly sliced: Slice against the grain, 2-3 mm thick. Partially frozen meat slices easier.

green chilies (long hot peppers or banana peppers): Long green chilies with some heat. For milder, use shishito or Anaheim.

fermented black beans (douchi, optional): Rinse and mash lightly before adding. Adds a deep fermented note.

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Slice the pork thinly. Cut peppers into long diagonal slices about 4 cm long. Smash the garlic cloves flat.
备料
🔍 Look for
Visual: 肉片薄而均匀；辣椒大小一致Pork slices are thin and even; peppers are similar in size
You know it's right when: 最薄的肉片能透光You can see light through the thinnest pork slices
2Heat a wok over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the oil, then the pork. Spread it out and let it sear, without stirring, for 1 minute.
大火煎肉
🔍 Look for High heat 静置煎 1 分钟 · 1 minute untouched
Visual: 肉片边缘金黄，肥肉变半透明Pork edges turn golden and fat turns translucent
You know it's right when: 肉片能轻松脱离锅底——已经起焦壳The pork releases from the pan easily — it has a crust
3Stir-fry the pork for 2-3 more minutes until the fat renders and the slices are golden at the edges. Remove to a plate, leaving the fat in the wok.
煸出猪油
🔍 Look for High heat 2-3 分钟 · 2-3 minutes
Visual: 肉片边缘焦脆金黄，肥肉出油油亮Pork is golden-crisp at the edges, fat rendered and shiny
You know it's right when: 锅底积起一勺清澈的猪油A spoonful of clear pork fat pools in the wok
4In the reserved fat, add the smashed garlic and (optional) douchi. Stir 15 seconds until fragrant.
爆香
🔍 Look for Medium-high 15 秒 · 15 seconds
Visual: 蒜瓣变浅金色；豆豉散发发酵的咸香Garlic turns pale golden; douchi releases a fermented aroma
You know it's right when: 蒜香扑鼻——蒜还是淡色，没焦Aroma hits you — garlic is fragrant but not brown
5Add the peppers and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes until the skins blister slightly.
炒青椒
🔍 Look for High heat 2 分钟 · 2 minutes
Visual: 椒皮微微起泡焦斑，颜色变鲜亮Pepper skins blister and char lightly in spots; color brightens
You know it's right when: 辣椒脆嫩——掰一根：是脆断而不是软垂Peppers are tender-crisp — bend one: it snaps, doesn't sag
6Return the pork to the wok. Splash in Shaoxing wine, add soy sauces, and toss on high heat for 30 seconds until everything is glossy and coated. Serve with rice.
回锅调味
🔍 Look for High heat 30 秒 · 30 seconds
Visual: 肉片和辣椒均匀裹上油亮的棕色酱汁Pork and peppers are evenly coated in a glossy brown sauce
You know it's right when: 酱汁挂在肉上——没有积汁Sauce clings to the meat — no pooling liquid

Tips

· Render the pork fat fully before adding anything else — this is where the flavor comes from.
· Peppers first, seasoning second: letting the chilies blister before saucing keeps them bright.
· Don't be shy with garlic — Hunan cooking treats it as a main character.
· Serve with steamed rice and something cool, like smashed cucumber.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

It's too spicy. How do I tone it down?

Add a dairy element (a swirl of yogurt, milk, or a spoon of peanut butter) — dairy fat binds the capsaicin. Sugar or honey also helps balance heat. For next time: remove chili seeds (they hold most heat) or halve the dried chilies and add chili oil at the table instead.

Source: HǎoWèi flavor guide

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide

Ingredient swaps

Can't find an Asian-market staple? Use these.

Swap: light soy sauce
→ regular soy sauce
Ratio: 1:1 · Slightly saltier — dial salt back by a pinch.
Swap: dark soy sauce
→ light soy + ½ tsp sugar + drop of molasses
Ratio: 1:1 · Gets the color without the bottle.
Swap: Shaoxing wine
→ dry sherry or mirin (less sweet)
Ratio: 1:1 · Both add the same warm fermented depth.

Don't make these mistakes

The traps every home cook hits — and how to avoid them.

✗ Crowding the pan — ingredients steam instead of sear.
✓ Fix: Cook in batches; give each piece room to brown.
✗ Adding sauce too early — the wok cools and flavors dull.
✓ Fix: Push food up the wok wall, add sauce to the hot center, toss fast.