Pong Pong Poached Chicken

The name of this classic poached chicken dish—particularly popular in western China, Hunan, and Sichuan—is derived from its method of preparation. After the chicken is cooked, it is pounded with a rounded, bat-size, wooden dowel, similar to an elongated rolling pin. The chicken is struck with the stick to break its fibers. The term pong pong refers to the dowel, the process, and the sound the wood makes when it hits the chicken. A rolling pin can stand in for the dowel. When you see