Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Sichuan Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork
魚香肉絲
Recipe overview
Fish-fragrant refers to the Sichuan combination of pickled chilli, ginger, garlic, sugar and vinegar; this pork dish contains no fish. Briefly cook the pork before combining it with crisp vegetables and the sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 g Pork tenderloin
- 80 g Cooked bamboo shoots
- 60 g Fresh wood-ear mushrooms
- 60 g Carrot
Pork marinade
- 5 ml Light soy sauce (For pork marinade)
- 5 g Cornstarch (For pork marinade)
- 15 ml Water (For pork marinade)
Stir-fry sauce
- 15 ml Light soy sauce (For sauce)
- 20 ml Chinkiang vinegar
- 15 g Sugar
- 5 g Cornstarch (For sauce)
- 40 ml Water (For sauce)
- 20 g Chopped Sichuan pickled red chillies
- 10 g Minced ginger
- 15 g Minced garlic
- 20 g Chopped spring onion
Cooking oil
- 25 ml Cooking oil (15 ml for pork and 10 ml for aromatics)
02
Tools
- Wok
- Knife and two boards
- Mixing bowl and small bowls
- Spatula and food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Slice pork strips
Slice pork across the grain into strips about 5 cm long and 3 mm thick; chilled meat is easier to cut.
Step 2
Marinate pork
Mix pork with marinade soy, cornstarch and water until absorbed; refrigerate about 10 minutes while preparing vegetables.
Step 3
Julienne vegetables
Rinse and drain cooked bamboo shoots, fresh wood ears and carrot, then cut into similarly thin strips.
Step 4
Chop aromatics
Chop pickled chillies, ginger and garlic, and slice spring onion; do not add the chilli brine.
Step 5
Mix yuxiang sauce
Mix sauce quantities of 15 ml soy, 20 ml vinegar, 15 g sugar, 5 g cornstarch and 40 ml water.
Step 6
Start stir-frying pork
Heat 15 ml oil over medium-high heat until fluid but not smoking, then spread pork strips in the wok.
Step 7
Fry and remove pork
Stir-fry about 2 minutes until separated and changed colour outside, then remove; it will finish cooking later.
Step 8
Fry chilli and aromatics
Add 10 ml oil to the wok and fry pickled chilli, ginger and garlic over medium heat about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 9
Stir-fry vegetables
Add carrot, wood ears and bamboo shoots; stir-fry over medium-high heat about 2–3 minutes until mushrooms are hot throughout and vegetables just tender.
Step 10
Return pork and sauce
Return pork and its juices; restir the yuxiang sauce before adding and stir-fry about 1 minute until bubbling.
Step 11
Check cooked pork
The thickest pork strip should reach 75°C at the centre and the sauce turn glossy and lightly coating; cook and recheck if needed.
Step 12
Finish with spring onion
Toss in spring onion for about 10 seconds, plate immediately and serve with rice.
Common mistakes
- Treating yuxiang as fish-sauce flavour changes the dish.
- Uneven pork strips cook unevenly.
- Unstirred sauce leaves cornstarch settled at the bottom.
- Long high-heat frying makes garlic and chilli bitter.
Tips
Cooked bamboo shoots and fresh wood ears keep preparation near 18 minutes; dried wood ears require additional proper soaking time. Pickled chillies are salty, so use the stated quantities for sour-sweet-hot balance without adding extra salt.
