Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce
Submitted by prees
Sichuan-style shredded pork with garlic sauce, tree ear mushrooms, celery, and water chestnuts. Deep-fried pork meets a spicy, tangy, sweet sauce in this bold Chinese classic.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
6 hrsCOOK
20 minREADY
6 hrsThis is the real deal. Sichuan garlic sauce pork (yu xiang rou si) with its signature balance of spicy, sour, sweet, and savory hitting all at once.
Pork shoulder gets shredded thin, tenderized with a baking soda soak, then deep-fried until crisp. Tree ear mushrooms add their trademark chewy snap, while celery and water chestnuts bring freshness and crunch.
The sauce is where the magic lives: dark Chinese vinegar, chili paste with garlic, tomato purée, Shaoxing wine, and sesame oil. It coats everything in a glossy, fiery glaze that’ll have you reaching for the rice bowl.
Chef Tips
- The baking soda soak is essential. Five hours seems long, but it transforms tough pork shoulder into melt-in-your-mouth shreds. Don’t skip the rinse afterward or you’ll taste it.
- Substitute balsamic for dark Chinese vinegar. It’s the closest match you’ll find at a regular grocery store, with a similar depth and sweetness.
- Have everything prepped before you fire up the wok. Once the oil is hot, this dish moves fast. Mise en place is non-negotiable.
- Double-fry the pork. Just like the best Chinese restaurant technique: first fry cooks it through, second fry crisps the exterior.
Ingredients
Directions
Freeze pork slightly, and cut into long thin shreds.
Mix with baking soda and water.
Cover, and let sit (unrefrigerated) for 5 hours. When ready to cook, rinse pork and dry well. Prepare the sauce by mixing together tomato purée, vinegar, chili paste, water, sugar, Shoa Hsing, soy sauce, sesame oil, MSG, and cornstarch paste. Soak the tree ears in 1 cup of boiling water for 15 minutes and remove. Heat 4 cups of peanut oil in a wok to 375℉ (190℃). Add rinsed and dried pork, and deep fry for 30 seconds. Remove pork and place on paper towels. Let the oil return to 375℉ (190℃) and add shredded celery. Deep fry for 30 seconds. Remove and place on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil. Over high heat, stir fry garlic, ginger, and scallions for 1 minute. Add water chestnuts. Stir. Add pork, celery, and tree ears. Stir. Add sauce mixture. Bring to boil quickly and serve (approximately 15 seconds). Note: Chinese dark vinegar is a brownish-black vinegar and has a very full flavor. The best substitute is balsamic vinegar from Italy.
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