Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce

Name: Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce
Prep time: P6H
Total time: P6H
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: pork shoulder; baking soda; tomato purée (passata); vinegar; thai chili paste; water; sugar; chinese (xiao xiang) wine; soy sauce, tamari; sesame oil; monosodium glutamate; cornstarch; tree ears; peanut oil; celery; garlic; ginger root; scallions, spring or green onions; water chestnuts

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

6 hrs

COOK

20 min

READY

6 hrs

Ingredients

OUNCES PORK SHOULDER
boneless

TEASPOON BAKING SODA

TABLESPOONS TOMATO PURÉE (PASSATA)

TABLESPOON VINEGAR
chinese dark

TABLESPOON THAI CHILI PASTE
with garlic

TABLESPOON WATER

TABLESPOON SUGAR

TEASPOONS CHINESE (XIAO XIANG) WINE
or sherry, dry *

TEASPOONS SOY SAUCE, TAMARI
thin

TEASPOON SESAME OIL

TEASPOON MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE *

TEASPOON CORNSTARCH
(mixed with a few drops of water)

CUP TREE EARS
dried *

CUPS PEANUT OIL

STALKS CELERY
shredded *

TABLESPOONS GARLIC
minced

TABLESPOON GINGER ROOT
minced

EACH SCALLIONS, SPRING OR GREEN ONIONS
finely chopped

EACH WATER CHESTNUTS
diced *

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.