Yuxiang Rousi – “Pig à la fish”

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 3 m.-sized pork chop(s), approx. 400 g meat
• 4 spring onions
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp pepper (Szechuan), roasted and ground
• 20 g mushrooms (Jew’s ear)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 piece(s) of ginger root, approx. 4 cm
• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 water chestnuts, fresh
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp water
• 3 tbsp oil (peanut)
• 1 tsp chili paste, hot
• 1 tsp chili oil, with chili flakes
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp water
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• n. B. Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Chinese pork dish without fish, spicy, sweet, sour, fresh, salty, aromatic

This recipe has nothing to do with fish. The name comes from the fact that this Chinese method of preparing fish is very similar to the original way of preparing fish. This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes from Mrs. Chiang. Remove all bones and fat from the slightly frozen meat and cut the meat into very fine, very thin 5 cm strips/threads. Cut the spring onions in the same way. Mix half of the spring onions with the meat strips in a bowl. Add salt, sesame oil, and ground Sichuan peppercorns, mix well, and let stand for about 45 minutes. Pour boiling water over the mushrooms and let them soak for about 10 minutes, until they are soft and gelatinous. Then drain the water and cut the mushrooms into very thin 5 cm strips. Finely chop the peeled ginger and garlic, mix well, and continue chopping until the mixture becomes almost “mushy.” Trim the dark outer edges of the fresh water chestnuts and cut them into very small cubes. Now mix the potato starch with the teaspoon of water and mix well with the meat. Heat a wok until very hot, then add the peanut oil and let it get very hot. Once the oil is hot, quickly add the ginger and garlic paste, then the chili paste, chili oil, Judas ears, water chestnuts, the second half of the spring onions, the sugar, and finally the meat mixture, stirring constantly. Be careful to stir constantly so nothing burns or sticks. Fry, stirring constantly, until everything is well and evenly coated with the hot oil. If it gets a little dry, add a splash of water if necessary. Continue frying and stirring until the meat strips are thoroughly cooked (they will be stiff and pale). This should take about 3-4 minutes. Then add the rice vinegar, season with salt if desired, and serve with rice.