Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork (Yu Xiang Rou Si)

Ok. There's absolutely not a whit of fish, fish sauce, or anything fishy in this Szechuan dish, so why is it fish flavored? According to legend, a local Szechuan woman had some leftover sauce comprised of garlic, ginger, scallions, wine, chili sauce and vinegar that  she had always used for cooking fish and one day decided to use it in a different preparation. It was so delicious that the rest is history. Nowadays, "Fish'flavored" sauce is used to cook a variety of different ingredients, including pork and eggplant. This is my version, which is on the wet side, because I really like to mix the extra sauce in with white rice.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips/shreds

Marinade:
1 tbsp. rice wine or Shaohsing wine
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cornstarch

Vegetable oil
1 tbsp. hot bean paste (according to your taste)
5-6 green onions, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
3 red and/or green jalapenos, seeded & sliced

1 small 8-oz. can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
2 cups dried shredded wood ear fungus, soaked in hot water to soften

1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoots

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Sauce:
3 tbsp. rice wine
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. sesame oil
12 tbsp. water

1. Mix shredded meat with marinade ingredients, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20-30 minutes, until ready to cook.

2. Since 2 lbs. of pork is a lot, you might want to cook in 2 batches (adding extra oil for the second batch if needed), depending on the size of your pan, so that the pork doesn't just boil or simmer in the pan. For the first batch, heat 2-3 tbsp. oil over high heat in a large skillet or wok; add half of the pork and saute until just cooked through; remove to a bowl & set aside. If the pan is dry, add another couple tablespoons of oil and saute the remaining half of the meat until just done; remove and set aside.

3. In the same wok, heat 1 tbsp. oil and heat over medium heat; add garlic, green onion, ginger, jalapeno peppers for 20-30 seconds until fragrant; toss in bamboo shoots and stir for a few seconds to incorporate. Add hot bean paste and stir well. Stir in water chestnuts and wood ear.

4. Add cooked pork shreds to the vegetable mixture and pour in sauce ingredients. Turn heat to high, stir quickly, and add cilantro. Serve with steamed white rice.

Dried shredded wood ear fungus. Available at most Chinese markets. You can buy these whole and then shred them yourself, but I like the convenience of pre-shredded.

Soak the wood ear in hot or very warm water about 20 minutes to rehydrate.

Cut the pork loin into thin strips.

Mix marinade ingredients with pork, cover & refrigerate 20-30 minutes before cooking.

Water chestnuts.

Chopped garlic, ginger, scallions, red & green jalapenos, water chestnuts & cilantro.

Mix sauce ingredients together in a bowl.

Hot bean paste (aka chili bean sauce).

Saute pork in two batches over high heat until just cooked through.

Remove cooked pork to a bowl & set aside.

Remove all but 1-2 tbsp. oil in the same pan and saute garlic, ginger, and jalapeno peppers for 20-30 seconds until fragrant. 

Add 1 tbsp. of hot bean paste & stir well.

Add chopped water chestnuts, shredded wood ear fungus, and bamboo shoots.

Add cooked pork.

Add sauce & bring to a boil.

Stir in cilantro & turn off heat.