Stir-Fried Pork Belly with Sweet Peppers: A Dish That Brings Us Closer

Some dishes are more than just food—they’re stories and memories on a plate. For me, stir-fried pork belly with sweet peppers is one of them.

it's a dish that has walked me through so much time and so many memories

This recipe is a tribute to my best friend Elliot, who used to cook this dish for me whenever we were in different cities and he came to visit. Now that we live together, it’s become a regular on our dinner table—so much so that my dad always jokes, “The classic again?” whenever I send him photos of our meals.

how classic, you ask me? we've tried almost a million variations!

So today, I’m sharing our go-to comfort food, a dish that requires just a handful of ingredients yet delivers bold, satisfying flavours. If you're looking for an easy stir-fry, this one’s for you!

Ingredients You’ll Need (Serves 2)

• 200g pork belly

• 2 sweet peppers (red, yellow, green, or combos, pick whatever you like to colour your day:D)

• 2 cloves garlic

• Hot broadbean paste (a kind Chinese chili sauce that’s actually not spicy)

• soy sauce

• salt

🛒All ingredients can be found at your local supermarket or Asian grocery store

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Prepare

1. Thinly slice the pork and peppers. Mince the garlic.

   

   
   

Stir-Fry and Season

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork belly slices and stir-fry until crisply browned and some of the fat has rendered out (about 2-3 minutes).

3. Add the Sichuan chili bean paste, soy sauce, and salt. Toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly coated and the flavours are well combined.

   

   
   

4. Push the pork belly to one side of the wok and add the minced garlic to the empty space. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then mix the garlic into the pork belly. (I totally forgot about this step so in the picture they’re added together with the peppers, but didn’t affect the wonderful fragrance at all!)

5. Add the peppers, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they’re tender but still crisp.

   
   

   

   
   

Serve and Enjoy!

6. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate, serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy the Elliot Special™!

   

   
   
   
   

Final Thoughts

The first time I tasted this dish was nearly three years ago. Now, as I’m about to graduate and embark on a new chapter of my life, the memories of that first summer spent far from home—living with friends, taking care of each other, and sharing simple joys—still come flooding back every time this dish is ready to serve. I’m sharing it here in the hope that it can bring the same happiness and relax to more people like (the past versions of) us—those who may not yet be skilled with a spatula and never seem to have enough time to do everything they want. May we all smile when we look back on the past and stride forward with confidence as we face the future :D

Till next time!