The 20-Year Secret Guizhou Sticky Rice Recipe (Ultimate Chinese Street Food)

There's one food people in Guizhou have a very hard time saying goodbye to, Guizhou-style sticky rice. Every bite is a little surprise for your taste buds. And once you understand everything that goes into it, you'll realize this is definitely not your average bowl of rice. First, prepare some Guizhou high-mountain long-grain or round-grain glutinous rice. Place the rice in clean water and soak it overnight. This allows every grain to absorb plenty of moisture and become nice and plump before steaming. Next comes something absolutely essential in Guizhou cooking, the chilies. Prepare 150 grams of Guizhou Erjingtiao chilies and 50 grams of Guizhou Kaotianjiao. Cut the Erjingtiao chilies into smaller sections so they cook more evenly. Add a little rapeseed oil to a wok, just enough to coat the surface, then add the prepared chilies. Slowly toast them over low heat to release their aroma and cook until they become dry and crisp. When the chilies begin smoking, immediately turn off the heat. Let the residual heat of the wok continue drying and crisping them without burning them. Once the wok cools slightly, turn the heat back on and continue stir-frying. Repeat this process until the chilies are completely dry and crispy with a deep brownish-red color. At this point, you'll start smelling that distinctive roasted chili aroma Guizhou cuisine is famous for. The kind of smell that makes everyone within 50 feet suddenly ask, What are you cooking? Transfer half of the toasted chilies to a stone mortar and pound them into a fine chili powder. Using a mortar helps preserve as much of the chili aroma as possible, so if you have one, use it instead of a blender. Your arms may complain, but your taste buds will send you a thank-you card. Add the remaining chilies and pound those more coarsely. Combining fine and coarse chili flakes gives the finished chili oil more layers of both flavor and texture. Add 20 grams of high-proof Chinese Baijiu and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle in some toasted white sesame seeds. Now add about one and a half pounds of rapeseed oil and a half pound of neutral salad oil to a wok. Heat the oil until it reaches roughly 80% of its maximum cooking temperature, then turn off the heat and add a smashed piece of old ginger. As the oil temperature drops slightly, remove the ginger and any solids. Heat the oil again to about 60% heat, then turn off the burner. First, pour about one third of the hot oil over the chili mixture, making sure everything gets thoroughly moistened. Pour in half of the remaining oil. When it drops to around 120 degrees Celsius, or 248 degrees Fahrenheit, add the rest. Cover the mixture and let the residual heat continue extracting the flavor. For even better aroma and color, let the chili oil rest for a full day before using it. Next, we're making the seasoned soy sauce specifically for the sticky rice. Prepare your aromatic spice mixture and pour in enough boiling water to cover it. Cover and soak for about 10 minutes. Transfer everything to a clay pot and add about two pounds of water. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add 300 grams of light soy sauce, 150 grams of red soy sauce, 50 grams of brown sugar, 30 grams of sliced old ginger, and 20 grams of rock sugar. Bring it back to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for another 30 minutes to deepen the soy sauce aroma. Season with 30 grams of salt, 20 grams of chicken bouillon, and 20 grams of MSG. Continue simmering for another few minutes until everything has completely dissolved and blended together. Turn off the heat and immediately cover the pot. Once completely cooled, strain out the solids. You now have a deeply aromatic, richly colored, salty-savory seasoned soy sauce designed specifically for Guizhou sticky rice. Next comes another essential topping, crispy pork. Choose a fresh piece of pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat. Cut it into cubes about 2 centimeters, or roughly 3 quarters inch, across. Place the pork in cold water and begin blanching it with scallions, ginger, and a small splash of high-proof Baijiu. Bring it to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam. Continue blanching for another 3 to 5 minutes until the pork is thoroughly cleaned. Remove the pork and rinse it completely in warm water. Return the pork to the wok, add a small amount of water to help it heat evenly, and toss in another piece of old ginger. Cook until the water evaporates and the pork begins releasing its own fat. Once the rendered fat becomes clear, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue frying until the pork pieces become beautifully golden and fragrant. Remove them as soon as they're crisp and golden. Strain and reserve that beautiful, clean rendered lard. We'll use it later to season the sticky rice. Combine a little rice wine, half a spoonful of the seasoned soy sauce, 10 grams of yellow rice wine, and 5 grams of red rice coloring. Mix well. Return the crispy pork pieces to the wok and pour in the seasoning mixture. Cook slowly over low heat, tossing constantly so every piece becomes evenly coated. The liquid will briefly soften the crispy pork, but keep cooking until the moisture evaporates and the pieces become dry, fragrant, and crisp again. Add half a spoonful of Sichuan pepper powder and 2 grams of five-spice powder. Toss everything together, then remove from the heat. Your crispy pork topping is officially ready. Next, prepare some fresh houttuynia. Add one spoonful of the seasoned soy sauce, half a spoonful of aged vinegar, and half a spoonful of your homemade chili oil. Mix thoroughly. In another small bowl, combine some white sugar with a little black sesame. This gives the finished sticky rice a surprisingly delicious sweet and nutty contrast. Prepare some briefly blanched bean sprouts, shredded kelp, and shredded potatoes. Season them with half a spoonful of the prepared soy sauce, half a spoonful of aged vinegar, a little Sichuan pepper powder, and a splash of sesame oil. Toss well. Finally, prepare some diced pickled radish, fried peanuts, and chopped scallions. At this point, all the toppings and seasonings are ready. Take your overnight-soaked glutinous rice and rinse it with clean water. Transfer it directly into a traditional wooden steaming bucket. Spread the rice evenly and poke several holes through it so steam can travel upward more easily. Cover and steam over high heat. Once plenty of steam begins escaping from the bucket, continue steaming for about 25 to 30 minutes. When you open the lid, the rice should smell incredible, with individual grains that are plump, glossy, and almost translucent. Transfer the steamed rice to a large bowl. Drizzle in some of that reserved pork lard and your homemade seasoned soy sauce, then mix thoroughly until every grain is lightly coated. Return the seasoned rice to the wooden steamer and steam again over high heat. Once steam begins escaping strongly, continue steaming for another 30 minutes. This second steaming allows the pork fat and seasoned soy sauce to penetrate deeply into every grain. The finished sticky rice should now be even more aromatic, beautifully colored, glossy, and packed with flavor. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and place a generous spoonful of steamed sticky rice in the center. Drizzle over about two spoonfuls of your homemade chili oil. Then pile on the seasoned shredded kelp, potatoes, bean sprouts, fried peanuts, pickled radish, chopped scallions, crispy pork, seasoned zhe'ergen, and the sugar-black sesame mixture. Finish with another spoonful of chili oil. Top everything with another layer of sticky rice and gently shape it into a medium-sized rice ball. And there you have it, Guizhou-style sticky rice. It may look humble on the outside, but inside it's absolutely loaded. Spicy chili oil, savory seasoned soy sauce, crispy pork, tangy vegetables, peanuts, herbs, sesame, sweetness, and chewy, fragrant sticky rice all packed into one glorious handful.