Chengdu Challenge 25 Yu Xiang Pork Yu Xiang Rou Si Recipes

CHENGDU CHALLENGE #25: YU XIANG PORK (YU XIANG ROU SI)

Steps:

• Prep ingredients: slice pork into thin strips, which is much easier to do if it is slightly frozen. Marinate pork strips in Shaoxing wine. Cover wood ear mushrooms in very hot water and let sit for about 15 minutes or until soft, drain and slice thinly. Slice celery (or celtuce) in thin strips to match pork strips. Mince ginger, garlic and scallions.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup mix vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine and chicken stock. Mix cornstarch and water in another small prep bowl.
• Heat wok over high flame until heat starts to rise. Add 1/4 cup oil and when hot add the pork strips. Spread them out and let them cook, stirring and flipping them every so often until just cooked through. Move the pork to the sides of the wok with your spatula and add the ginger, garlic and scallions to the well in the center. There should be plenty of oil to briefly cook them. Add chili bean paste (or pickled chilies) and cook briefly. Mix in the pork, then add celery and wood ear strips. Mix all together and stir-fry until celery starts to wilt.
• Add vinegar sauce mixture and distribute well, then add cornstarch slurry a bit at a time, continuing to stir-fry, until sauce thickens (you might not need it all). Plate and garnish with celery leaves.