shuizhu — People's Republic of China

Shuizhu is a Sichuan dish whose name means 'water-boiled', describing how the meat is cooked: poached briefly in water rather than stir-fried in oil. Thin slices of beef or pork sit over blanched vegetables, topped with garlic, dried chili, and Sichuan pepper, then doused with oil heated almost to smoking point. It is reported from Sichuan province, in southwestern China, where it belongs to a family of dishes built around the same pouring-oil technique, alongside dishes such as shuizhu fish. It is commonly found on the menus of Sichuan restaurants elsewhere in China and abroad. The meat is sliced thin, coated in a little cornstarch and salt to keep it tender, then poached for only 20 to 30 seconds so it stays soft. Vegetables — often cabbage or bean sprouts — line the bottom of the bowl and are cooked separately. Chili, Sichuan pepper, and garlic are spread over the meat once it is plated, and hot oil is poured over everything just before serving, releasing their aroma and cooking them briefly. The vegetables used underneath vary — cabbage, lettuce, bean sprouts, or celery all appear depending on the cook — as does the balance between dried chili and Sichuan pepper, which can lean more toward heat or more toward the numbing ma la sensation. The choice of meat also differs: beef is common, but pork or even fish, in the related shuizhu fish, are used as well.