Red Braised Chitterlings

Hong Shao Feichang (红烧肥肠)

Tender braised pork chitterlings are simmered in a sweet and spicy aromatic sauce with a unique blend of spices like star anise, sand ginger, cassia bark, and fennel seeds.

Red Braised Chitterlings are an iconic Chinese dish and quite popular in Sichuan. Unlike many northern versions of this dish, Sichuan-style Red Braised Chitterlings prioritize a clean, smooth flavor and a tender, almost melt-in-the-mouth quality. That means there should be no unpleasant flavors or odors from the Chitterlings and the texture shouldn’t be chewy or rubbery. The process presented in this recipe will guarantee that, though it will require quite a lot of preparation.

The most important steps to achieve the perfect Red Braised Chitterlings are cleaning, washing, and boiling (steps 1 to 6), which are also the most time consuming. This is especially true for the very first step, cleaning the inside of the Intestines by ripping off the white fat and peeling away the membrane. This requires a good eye and a strong grip. While most Chinese grannies can accomplish this step in mere minutes, for a novice it will take quite some time. My suggestion is to put on a good show and get to work. But, most importantly, be thorough!

(Also, be aware that this ingredient will have a rather strong odor. I suggest wearing gloves and being mindful of the work area at all times. If some liquid should splash outside of the bowl, it may be difficult to remove the odor from that surface).

The yield for this recipe is enough for a side among other larger dishes or enough for about four bowls of noodles. Red Braised Chitterling Noodles are a common and popular use for this ingredient. However, Red Braised Chitterlings can be served simply on their own along with bowls of white rice. For most non-Chinese who are unaccustomed to eating Chitterlings, I would also recommend starting with the small amount presented here. Typically, the following recipe would be doubled in most households as it is a popular dish. Doubling the recipe would also significantly increase the time required to properly clean the Intestines, so keep this in mind if wanting to make a more traditional amount.

Prep Time: 40 min

Cook Time: 3 hrs

Total Time: 3 hrs 40 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

500 grams Pork Large Intestine (肥肠)

Washing Ingredients
1/4 cup Salt
1/4 cup Salt
1/4 cup Salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 cup of Chinese White Liquor (白酒)
1/2 cup Corn Starch

Boiling Ingredients
1/2 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine
2 4-inch white stalk of Big Scallion (大葱)
1 4-inch piece of Ginger (Sliced)
1 tsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns

Aromatics
1 2-inch block of Ginger

Spices
2 whole Star Anise
2 slices of dried Sand Ginger
2 Bay Leaves
2 3-inch sticks of Cassia Bark
1 pod of White Cardamom
1/2 tsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns
1/2 tsp. Fennel Seeds

Peanut Oil

2 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste

1 Tbsp. Chinese White Liquor

2 Tbsp. Red Colored Syrup (糖色)

Seasonings
1 – 2 tsp. Sugar

2 peeled cloves of Garlic

Garnishes (Optional)
2 stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
1 small bunch of Cilantro

Directions

1.) Place the Intestines in a large bowl and carefully turn them inside out. Use your hands to rip off all the white fat and debris clinging to the intestines, discarding this waste. Also, peel off the membrane covering the Intestines for the best flavor.

(This stage can be extremely time consuming, but you MUST be thorough. This initial stage will remove a lot of the unpleasant odors and flavors that would otherwise contaminate the final product. While these flavors are acceptable in some northern Chinese cuisine, they are detested in Sichuan and most southern Chinese provinces).

2.) Washing Stage 1:

• Fill the bowl with the Intestines with water.
• Drain the water completely.
• Add 1/4 cup of Salt and fill the bowl with 2 liters of very hot (not boiling) water.
• Gently massage the Intestines under water for 2 minutes to wash them.
• Drain the water completely.

3.) Washing Stage 2:

• Turn the Intestines inside-out again so they are back to their original configuration.
• Add 1/4 cup of Salt and fill the bowl with 2 liters of very hot (not boiling) water.
• Gently massage the Intestines under water for 2 minutes to wash them.
• Drain the water completely.
• Fill the bowl with water once more and then drain the water completely.

4.) Washing Stage 3:

• Add 1/4 cup of Salt and 2 tsp. of Baking Soda to the bowl.
• Fill the bowl with 2 liters of very hot (not boiling) water.
• Gently massage the Intestines under water for 3 minutes to wash them thoroughly.
• Drain the water completely.
• Fill the bowl with water once more and then drain the water completely.

5.) Washing Stage 4:

• Add 1/4 cup of strong Chinese White Liquor and 1/2 cup of Corn Starch.
• Gently massage the Intestines in the starchy alcohol for 3 minutes.
• Fill the bowl with warm water and drain the water completely.
• Continue to refill and drain water from the bowl while gently massaging the Intestines until the water runs clear.

6.) Boil the Intestines:

• Place the Intestines in a large pot and add the Boiling Ingredients (Rice Wine, Scallion, Ginger, and Sichuan Peppercorns).
• Fill the pot with at least 3 liters of water.
• Heat the pot on high heat.
• As the water comes to a boil skim off and discard the white debris which floats to the top of the water.
• Once the water is boiling and the surface of the water is clear of debris, drain the Chitterlings.
• Set the Chitterlings aside to cool and drip dry while preparing the other ingredients.

7.) Peel and slice the Ginger and place it in a bowl along with all of the Spices (Star Anise, Sand Ginger, Bay Leaves, Cassia Bark, White Cardamom, Sichuan Peppercorns, and Fennel Seeds).

8.) Place the cooled Chitterlings on a cutting board and use a rotating-bias cut (cutting at a 45-degree angle while rotating the product) to create small, triangular cat-ear-shaped pieces.

9.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil. Pull the wok away from heat and add the bowl of Aromatics and Spices, stir-frying them just a few seconds to perfume the Oil.

10.) Immediately add the chopped Chitterlings, return the wok to heat, and stir-fry everything for about 1-minute until much of the excess water has evaporated.

11.) Push the Chitterlings away from the center of the wok and add the Chili Bean Paste to the Oil. Stir-fry the Paste in this Oil, gradually incorporating more and more of the Chitterlings before tossing everything together.

12.) Splash the White Liquor around the inner sides of the wok and toss the Chitterlings into it. Then, repeat this with the Colored Syrup, tossing everything together until the sizzling organs are crimson.

13.) Pour in 4 cups of water, add the Sugar, and bring the sauce to a boil.

(After adding the water and Sugar, I like to pour everything into a heavy-bottomed pot which is better for braising. This could, however, be done entirely in a wok).

14.) Once the sauce is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and braise for 1 hour.

15.) After 1 hour, lightly smash the two cloves of Garlic and add the to the sauce. Cover with a lid once more and continue to braise on low heat for 1 hour.

16.) Uncover and remove the Garlic, Ginger, and Bay Leaves. Continue to simmer on low heat for one hour.

17.) While the Chitterlings are simmering, prepare any Garnishes such as Scallion and Cilantro.

18.) After this final hour, the Red Braised Chitterlings are ready to be served. They can be served in a large bowl with a garnish of Scallion and Cilantro or they can be ladled atop a bowl of Soup Noodles.

 

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