You may recognize this dish as shredded pork in spicy garlic sauce, but its actual name is Yu Xiang Rou Si (鱼香肉丝). "Yu Xiang" translates to fish-fragrant, though the dish contains no fish. Historically, fishmongers used the sauce typically prepared for fish to cook this meat dish, which is how it got its name. It offers a savory, slightly tangy, and sweet flavor with a hint of spice from the chili peppers. It's perfect to enjoy with plain rice or noodles.
YU XIANG ROU SI RECIPE
Ingredients
8 oz pork tenderloin (or flank steak, chicken breast), shredded (julienned)
1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoots or carrots. You can use thawed frozen or fresh bamboo shoots.
1/2 to 2/3 cup shredded black wood ear mushrooms, cut into thin strips. If you use dried mushrooms, soak 1/4 cup in water until soft.
Three small scallions cut into 2-inch batons.
8 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
8 to 10 dried Chinese chilis peppers, coarsely cut
Shaoxing cooking wine
Ground white pepper
Cornstarch
Vegetable oil (corn, canola, peanut, soybean)
Salt
Sauce Ingredients*
2 Tbsp Zhenjiang vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp sugar
1 ½ Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
Gluten-Free Sauce Ingredients*
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 ½ Tbsp GF soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
Instructions
Place your choice of meat in a mixing bowl. Add 2 Tbsp cooking wine, ½ Tbsp light soy sauce, ⅓ salt, and ⅓ tsp ground white pepper. Mix thoroughly and let the meat absorb the liquid. Add 1 Tbsp cornstarch and mix to coat the meat. Add Tbsp vegetable oil and mix to seal the moisture. Marinate the meat for 15 minutes.
Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Boil bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms for 3 minutes. Drain them and set aside.
Heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or a large skillet. When the oil is hot, fold, toss and quickly stir-fry the meat on high heat until the pork is cooked and golden brown bits appear. Remove the meat from the wok (without taking too much oil) and set the meat aside.
Add the chili peppers, ginger and garlic to remaining oil in the wok. Stir-fry over medium heat until you can sell the aroma. Return the meat to the wok and stir-fry for about 30 seconds to let the meat absorb the flavors of the aromatics.
Add wood ear strips and bamboo shoots. Whisk together all sauce ingredients*. Add the sauce to the wok. Stir until reduced. Add scallion batons and toss.
Serve hot with rice.
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