I was thinking about exploring a different cuisine about 2 weeks back when my friend suggested that I give Sichuan a shot. Sichuan dishes are my go-to take out dishes. My trusted takeout places include Han Dynasty, DanDan, and Chili Szechuan in Philadelphia. So, I wanted to try my hands on a few of these dishes.
I started off with the Yuxiang Shredded Pork With Garlic Sauce (鱼香肉丝). I had this with Rice and Sugared Cucumber slices.

This is a classic Sichuan dish, and I made mine Black Vinegar, Dark and Light Soy Sauce, Sake (I didn’t have Shaoxing Wine), Sichuan Pickled Chili, Julienned Carrots and Bamboo Shoots, Wood Ear Mushrooms, and of course – Pork. It is a deliciously tangy, spicy and sweet dish, and it was absolutely fabulous with rice, and was perfect for the summer rain! I had mine with sugared cucumber because I made the pork a bit too spicy 🤣🤣
Summer Rain

A sign of
Gloom and Light;
Can you hear thunder
Beckoning the relief
To the lands
With the scorched plight?
It could be a drizzle,
Or the storm. Unpredictable
Is the second name
To the summer rain!
Recipe

Marinade (Overnight)
- 350 grams – Pork loin (Julienne/Cut into thin, lengthwise slices)
- 10 mL – Sake (Shaoxing wine will be better, but I was unable to find it)
- 10 mL – Light Soy Sauce
- 15 mL – Water
- 2.5 grams – Cornstarch
Vegetables and Sauce
- 60 grams – Julienned Carrots
- 50 grams – Julienned Bamboo Shoot
- 60 grams – Rehydrated Wood Ear Mushrooms (about 10 grams in dried form)
- 20 grams – Pickled Sichuan Chili
- 7 grams – Minced Garlic
- 7 grams – Minced Ginger
- 1 Spring Onion (Minced, for serving)
- 28 mL – Black Vinegar
- 14 mL – Light Soy Sauce
- 7 mL – Dark Soy Sauce
- 20 mL – Water (or Shaoxing Wine, if you have it)
- 7 grams – Cornstarch
- 5 grams – Sugar
- 20 mL – Sesame Oil (or your preferred oil)
Tips
- Please see a simple infographic for cutting the ingredients below

2. Add plenty of hot water to the dried Wood Ear Mushrooms (also called Black Fungus), and wait for 10 minutes to re-hydrate them
3. You can buy all the ingredients for this recipe at your local Chinese market. If you are in Philly, I found all these ingredients using Chowbus grocery delivery, and my soy sauces at Maido in Ardmore.

Method
- Marinade the pork with the aforementioned ingredients for at least 30 minutes or overnight
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients based on tip 1
- Make the sauce by combining the corn starch, black vinegar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, water/Shaoxing wine, and sugar
- In a wok or (in my case) a pan, add the oil, and heat it on high heat
- When it just starts smoking, add the marinated pork and fry until it has turned pale white
- Transfer the pork to the bowl/plate, and add the garlic, ginger, and chili to the pan
- Fry until the rawness is gone (about 30 seconds), and add vegetables (Bamboo Shoot, Carrots, Mushrooms, etc..,)
- Fry on high heat for about 30 seconds, and then add the pork back to the mix
- Fry for another 30 seconds
- Mix the cornstarch once again in the sauce to avoid clumpiness and then add the sauce to the pan
- Mix well for about 15 seconds and take off the stove
- Garnish with Scallion and serve with white rice!
Enjoy!

Good Lord! That looks sooo delicious *mouth waters*
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