Chinese Spicy Pork Strips with Black Fungus

This Sichuan stir-fry is all about texture: tender pork strips, slippery cloud ear mushrooms, crunchy water chestnuts, and crisp bamboo shoots.

The dark soy marinade gives the pork a deep, savory color while Szechuan hot sauce brings the heat.

Everything cooks in just minutes over screaming-high heat, the sauce reducing to a glaze that clings to every ingredient.

It’s fiery, satisfying, and packed with the kind of contrasting textures that make Chinese cooking so compelling.

Chef Tips

• Soak the cloud ears (wood ear mushrooms) for the full 45 minutes to rehydrate properly and achieve the right texture
• Cut the pork with the grain into long strips so it stays tender and doesn’t fall apart during stir-frying
• Have everything prepped and ready before you start; this cooks in under 2 minutes once the wok is blazing hot
• The sauce should reduce almost completely to a glaze, not leave the dish soupy or swimming in liquid

Variations

• Use boneless chicken thighs or beef flank steak instead of pork for different protein options
• Add Sichuan peppercorns for the classic numbing-spicy combination (ma la) that defines the cuisine
• Substitute fresh shiitake mushrooms if you can’t find dried cloud ears, though the texture will be different