Peking Shredded Pork with Sweet Bean Sauce (京酱肉丝)

Method11 steps · about 26 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut the 400 g raw pork tenderloin across the grain into narrow strips. Put it in a bowl with the marinade’s 2 tsp light soy sauce, 2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tsp cornstarch, ¼ tsp salt, pinch of ground white pepper and 2 tbsp water.

   Uses 400 g raw pork tenderloin (pork fillet), cut across the grain into narrow strips · 2 tsp light soy sauce for the marinade · 2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine for the marinade · 1 tsp cornstarch for the marinade · ¼ tsp salt for the marinade · 1 pinch ground white pepper for the marinade · 2 tbsp water for the marinade

2. 2

   Step 2: Stir and agitate the pork until the marinade liquid is absorbed and the meat feels sticky. Mix in the separate 1 tsp neutral oil to coat. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator at 4°C or colder for about 10 minutes while preparing the accompaniments and sauce.

   Marinate pork · 10 minUses Pork strips and their marinade · 1 tsp neutral cooking oil for coating the marinated pork

3. 3

   Step 3: Julienne the scallion whites. Peel and deseed the cucumber, then cut it into thin strips. Keep these ready-to-eat vegetables separate from raw-pork utensils.

   Uses Scallion whites for serving, amount as desired · Cucumber for serving, amount as desired

4. 4

   Step 4: Cut the pressed tofu sheets into 24 squares about the size of wonton wrappers. Bring the separate blanching water to a full boil, add the squares and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and let excess surface water dry off.

   Blanch tofu-sheet squares · 2 minUses Pressed tofu sheets, enough to cut 24 wonton-wrapper-sized squares · Water for blanching the tofu-sheet squares

5. 5

   Step 5: Mix the 3 tbsp sweet bean sauce, the sauce’s separate 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp water until smooth. Set this sauce aside before heating the wok.

   Uses 3 tbsp sweet bean sauce (Tian Mian Jiang/甜面酱) · 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine for the sauce · 1 tbsp sugar for the sauce · 2 tbsp water for the sauce

6. 6

   Step 6: Have the sauce and accompaniments ready. Heat a wok or deep frying pan until very hot, then add the separate 3 tbsp neutral stir-frying oil. For non-stick cookware, add this oil before heating.

   Uses 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil for stir-frying

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the marinated pork, loosen the strips with chopsticks and toss constantly to fry evenly. As soon as their surfaces turn pale, lift the pork onto a separate plate, leaving the cooking oil in the wok; the strips will finish cooking after they return to the sauce.

   Uses Marinated pork strips with their coating oil · Hot wok and measured stir-frying oil

8. 8

   Step 8: Turn the heat to low. Pour all the prepared sauce into the oil left in the wok and let it simmer gently until it begins to thicken.

   Uses Oil remaining after lifting out the pork · Prepared sweet-bean sauce

9. 9

   Step 9: Return all the reserved pork strips to the thickening sauce. Toss until the sauce evenly coats them and the pork is fully cooked through with no raw centre.

   Uses All reserved pork strips, retained wok oil excluded · Thickening sweet-bean sauce with retained wok oil

10. 10

    Step 10: Transfer the cooked saucy pork to a serving plate. Put the drained tofu-sheet squares, julienned scallion whites and cucumber strips alongside it.

    Uses Cooked pork with its adhering sauce · 24 drained tofu-sheet squares, blanching water excluded · Prepared scallion whites and cucumber strips

11. 11

    Step 11: Put some cooked pork, scallion whites and cucumber strips on a tofu-sheet square. Roll it up and eat while the pork is hot. Repeat with the remaining prepared squares and filling as desired.

    Uses Some cooked sauce-coated pork, scallion whites and cucumber per tofu-sheet square · One prepared tofu-sheet square per roll