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Yu xiang rou si (fish-fragrant pork)
鱼香肉丝 yu xiang rou si: Sichuan shredded pork with wood ear in a sweet, sour and spicy sauce
Every Chengdu canteen and family kitchen has this dish of shredded pork in 'fish-fragrant' sauce, which contains no fish at all: the name comes from the pickled chillies, garlic, ginger and spring onion once used to cook carp. The pork strips are coated in egg white and cornflour so they stay silky, then tossed with wood ear and bamboo in a glossy sauce that is sweet, sour and gently hot at once. Rice is a must. The common mistake is adding the sauce too early, which stews the pork; have it mixed in a bowl and pour it in at the very end. Cook the pork strips until no pink remains, at least 71 °C. Chef's tip: cut the pork along the grain into matchsticks so they don't break up in the wok.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the pork
- 10 ½ oz pork loin or tenderloincut into 5 mm matchsticks
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- ¼ tsp salt
For the stir-fry
- ¼ oz dried wood ear mushroomssoaked and shredded
- 3 ½ oz bamboo shootscut into matchsticks
- 2 tbsp Sichuan pickled chilli paste (pao la jiao)or chilli bean paste (doubanjiang)
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- ¾ in fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 2 spring onionssliced
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
For the sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 3 tbsp water
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz pork loin or tenderloin with ¼ tsp salt, 1 egg white and 1 tbsp cornflour until every strip is coated. Leave for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Stir 1 ½ tbsp sugar, 1 ½ tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp cornflour and 3 tbsp water together in a small bowl.
Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in a wok over a high heat until shimmering. Add the pork and stir-fry, separating the strips, for 1–2 minutes until pale all over with no pink left. Push to one side.
2 minStep 4: Fry 2 tbsp Sichuan pickled chilli paste (pao la jiao) in the oil for 30 seconds over a medium heat, until the oil turns red. Add 3 cloves garlic, ¾ in fresh ginger and the white part of 2 spring onions for 20 seconds.
1 minStep 5: Add ¼ oz dried wood ear mushrooms and 3 ½ oz bamboo shoots, toss everything together on a high heat for 1 minute, then stir the sauce and pour it in. Toss for 30 seconds until thick and glossy and the pork is cooked through.
2 minStep 6: Scatter with the green part of the spring onions and serve with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 23 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does yu xiang rou si (fish-fragrant pork) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of dried wood ear mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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