Yuxiang Rousi Chinese Sichuan Style Pork Recipes

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over cloud ears and soak for 20-30 minutes.
• Cut pork 'silk' style (into strips about 2 inches long and 1/16-inch thick--this is easier to do with meat that has been in the freezer for 20 minutes), marinate with 1 T soy sauce and 2 t cornstarch about 15 minutes.
• Cut scallions into small rounds, keeping white and green parts separate. Sliver water chestnuts, then drain cloud ears and sliver them as well. (When the dish is prepared, the shape of the pork, water chestnut, and cloud ear strips should be the same.).
• Combine seasoning sauce ingredients and set aside.
• Heat wok until smoking, add peanut oil, swirl to heat, add garlic and toss a moment until fragrant. Then add ginger and white parts of scallions and stir-fry until fragrant. Stir in the bean paste, then add pork, cloud ears, and water chestnuts and stir-fry until the pork is cooked. As you are stir-frying, splash the wine into the wok along the sides, allowing it to sizzle as you continue to stir.
• Finally add the seasoning sauce, stir thoroughly, and serve.
• Serves 4 as part of a Chinese meal, with rice, soup, and 2-3 other dishes.

Steps:

• Tip the minced soy into a bowl, pour over 400ml hot boiling water from the kettle. Fluff up the grains. Set aside for 5 mins.
• Stir all the ingredients for the sauce in a jug. Set aside until needed.
• Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking, then add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the aubergines and cook, stirring, for 5 mins, until browned. As you cook it, keep adding drops of water, up to about 50ml in total. This will create steam to help soften the aubergine (rather than frying it in lots of oil). Repeat this process about three times until the aubergines have softened.
• Push the aubergine to the far side of the wok (away from you). Add the remaining 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the Sichuan pepper, garlic, ginger and chilli, and stir for a few seconds, then toss into the aubergines. Push this all to one side of the wok, then add the rehydrated minced soy and stir for 30 seconds. Season with the dark soy sauce, chilli bean paste and shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry. Pour over the sauce from the jug and bring to the bubble, cooking for 1-2 mins on high heat until the sauce thickens. Give it a final mix. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle over the spring onions and serve immediately with jasmine rice.