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1
Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add the cauliflower florets and blanch for exactly 60 seconds. Drain immediately and spread on a clean cloth or rack to dry. The florets should be just barely yielding to pressure — not softened.
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2
Heat a wok over the highest available flame until a drop of water vaporises on contact — the metal should be visibly smoking. Add the pork belly slices and dry-fry without oil, pressing them flat. Cook until the fat renders and the edges colour. Remove the pork and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the wok.
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3
Add the doubanjiang to the residual fat. Fry, pressing and spreading the paste constantly across the wok surface, until it dries to a dark, fragrant residue and the oil runs red. This step removes moisture and is where the dish lives or dies — insufficient frying produces a raw, wet paste that floods the wok and prevents any subsequent charring.
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4
Add the dried whole er jing tiao chilies, garlic slices, and cumin seeds. Toss through the paste for 20–30 seconds over continuous high heat until the chilies blister and the garlic softens at the edges, and the wok fills with a sharp, toasted fragrance.
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5
Return the pork belly to the wok. Add the blanched, dried cauliflower florets. Stir-fry continuously, pressing the florets against the hot wok surface between tosses. Cook until the cauliflower edges are spotted and dark — properly charred, not merely browned — while the interior holds firm. The wok should remain dry throughout; no liquid should pool at the base.
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6
Transfer immediately to a preheated cast iron vessel set over a table flame. Serve at once — the charred edges soften within minutes of leaving the heat.