Shredded pork with Sichuan preserved vegetable

Sichuan (Szechuan) preserved vegetable is made of the root of a vegetable whose texture resembles a radish, pickled with chilli and salt. It is very hot and salty.

3/4 lb (400 g) pork
2 tsp cornflour
1/4 lb (100 g) Sichuan preserved vegetable
3-4 spring onion stalks
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

Method

Choose a cut of pork that is not too lean, and shred it into strips the size of matchsticks, then marinate with the cornflour mixed with about 1 tablespoon cold water. Shred the preserved vegetable into the same-size strips as the pork. Cut the spring onion stalks into short pieces.

Heat the oil in a hot wok or frying pan, stir-fry the pork by separating the strips with a stirrer or chopsticks. When the colour of the meat starts to change, add the spring onions and soy sauce, continue stirring for a few times more, then add the preserved vegetable and cook all together for about 1 minute or until the pork and vegetable are well blended with each other.

If you find this dish too hot or too salty, you can wash the excess chilli from the vegetable in water before shredding.

© Deh-Ta Hsiung and reproduced with his kind permission.