Yu Xiang Rou Si (Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork) is a classic Sichuan dish. Despite the name, there is no fish in it—the “fish-fragrant” flavor comes from the brilliant combination of pickled chilies, sugar, vinegar, and garlic. (Don’t worry—there’s absolutely no fishy smell, just a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory!) The pork shreds are silky and tender, the vegetables are crisp, and the sauce is rich and savory. It’s a legendary rice-killer. The key is the ratio of the “Yu Xiang” sauce—mix it in advance, and you won’t panic when stir-frying.
Prep time: 30 minutes (plus 20 minutes freezing time) | Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves: 3–4
🌴 Ingredients:
· Pork tenderloin, 300g (about 10.5 oz; sliced against the grain into thin shreds, freezing for 20 minutes makes it easier to cut)
🌴 Vegetables:
· Wood ear mushrooms, a small handful (about 20g dried; soaked and sliced into shreds)
· Carrot, ½ (about 50g; shredded)
· Green bell pepper, 1 (about 100g; shredded; lettuce stems or bamboo shoots also work for extra crunch)
🌴 For Marinating the Pork:
· Cooking wine, 1 tbsp (about 15ml)
· Light soy sauce, 1 tbsp (about 15ml)
· Egg white, ½ (about 15g; don’t add too much, or the marinade won’t stick)
· Cornstarch, 1 tbsp (about 10g)
· White pepper powder, a pinch (about 0.5g)
· Cooking oil, ½ tbsp (about 7.5ml; to seal in moisture)
🌴 Aromatics:
· Minced ginger, a small piece (about 5g)
· Minced garlic, 3–4 cloves (about 15g; a bit more is great for a stronger aroma)
· Chopped scallion, a little (divided into two portions)
· Pickled red chilies, 3–4 (about 15g; deseeded and finely chopped. Look for Chinese pickled chilies in a jar at Asian grocery stores. If unavailable, use 1 tbsp of Pixian broad bean paste (Doubanjiang) instead—it also gives that signature red oil and savory flavor.)
🌴 For the Yu Xiang Sauce (Mix in advance):
· Light soy sauce, 2 tbsp (about 30ml)
· Chinkiang vinegar, 3–3½ tbsp (about 45–50ml; for a stronger tang)
· Sugar, 1½–2 tbsp (about 18–24g; reduce if you prefer less sweet)
· Oyster sauce, ½ tbsp (about 7.5g)
· Cooking wine, 1 tbsp (about 15ml)
· Cornstarch, ½ tbsp (about 5g)
· Water, 2 tbsp (about 30ml)
· Sesame oil, a few drops (about 1ml; optional, for finishing)
All spoon measures are level. Chinkiang vinegar is slightly sweet and malty—use it as listed for the best flavor.
🌴 Instructions:
- Slice the Pork
Cut the pork tenderloin against the grain into thin shreds, about 3mm (⅛ inch) thick—roughly the thickness of a chopstick. Rinse briefly with water and pat dry. ⚠️ Tip: Slicing against the grain cuts the fibers, keeping the meat tender. Freezing for 20 minutes makes it easier to slice evenly. Too thin and they break; too thick and they won’t cook through. Rinsing removes blood, and patting dry helps the marinade stick. - Marinate the Pork
Add 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, ½ egg white, and a pinch of white pepper to the pork shreds. Massage with your hands until the liquid is absorbed and the surface feels sticky. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch and continue mixing. Finally, drizzle with ½ tbsp cooking oil to seal in the moisture, and marinate for 15 minutes. ⚠️ Tip: Massage until sticky before adding the starch so the coating sticks. The oil locks in moisture so the pork stays tender when stir-fried. Don’t use too much egg white, or the coating will slide off. - Make the Yu Xiang Sauce
In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 3–3½ tbsp Chinkiang vinegar, 1½–2 tbsp sugar, ½ tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp cooking wine, ½ tbsp cornstarch, and 2 tbsp water. Stir well. Taste it—the sweet and sour should be prominent, with a salty finish. ⚠️ Tip: Mix it in advance so you’re not scrambling. The classic sweet-to-sour ratio is about 2:3. The ½ tbsp of starch is just right—too much makes the sauce gluey. Give it a quick stir before adding, as the starch sinks. - Prepare the Vegetables
Soak and shred the wood ear mushrooms, shred the carrot and green bell pepper. Deseed and finely chop the pickled chilies, mince the ginger and garlic, and chop the scallion (reserve half for garnish). ⚠️ Tip: Cut the vegetable shreds to roughly the same thickness as the pork so they cook evenly. Deseeding the pickled chilies prevents them from burning and turning bitter. Mince the broad bean paste finely to release the red oil. - Stir-fry the Pork
Heat the wok and add oil. When the oil is about 50% hot (ripples on the surface, a chopstick inserted produces small bubbles), add the pork shreds. Don’t move them immediately—let them set, then quickly break them apart. Stir-fry until they change color, then remove and set aside. ⚠️ Tip: Don’t overcook, or they’ll get tough. Let them set before breaking them apart so they don’t stick or break. Remove as soon as they change color; they’ll go back into the wok later. - Sauté the Aromatics
Leave the base oil in the wok and turn the heat to low. Add the chopped pickled chilies, minced ginger, and garlic. Stir-fry until the oil turns red and it smells fragrant. ⚠️ Tip: Pickled chilies are the soul of the fish-fragrant flavor—don’t skip them! Keep the heat low; burning them will turn the dish bitter. The pickled chilies and broad bean paste are already salty, so no extra salt is needed in the sauce. - Stir-fry the Vegetables
Turn to high heat. Add the carrot shreds first and stir-fry for 20 seconds, then add the wood ear mushrooms and green bell pepper. Stir-fry quickly until slightly softened, about 1 minute. ⚠️ Tip: Carrots take the longest to cook, so add them first for even cooking. Drain the wood ear mushrooms well before adding to prevent oil splatters. Stir-fry over high heat to keep them crisp. - Combine and Serve
Return the pork to the wok and stir-fry to combine. Pour in the prepared Yu Xiang sauce and stir-fry over high heat. As soon as the sauce thickens and coats the pork (with no watery liquid at the bottom of the wok), turn off the heat. Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil if desired. ⚠️ Tip: Stir the sauce before adding. Turn off the heat as soon as it thickens—cooking too long will make the vegetables soggy. - Plate
Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with the reserved chopped scallion, and serve hot. The pork is silky and tender, the vegetables are crisp, and the flavor is sweet, sour, and slightly spicy. ⚠️ Tip: Add the scallion in two stages—half for aroma during stir-frying, half for garnish at the end—for a layered scallion flavor.
💡 Tips:
Freeze the pork for 20 minutes and slice it against the grain into chopstick-thick shreds. Rinse, pat dry, and marinate. Massage until sticky before adding the starch, drizzle with oil to seal in moisture, and marinate for 15 minutes. Mix the Yu Xiang sauce in advance with a sweet-to-sour ratio of 2:3, and stir it before adding. Deseed and mince the pickled chilies, and stir-fry over low heat to release the red oil. Add the carrots first for 20 seconds, then the wood ear mushrooms and green pepper. Stir-fry the pork in 50% hot oil, let it set before breaking it apart, and remove as soon as it changes color. Return it to the wok, pour in the sauce, and stir-fry over high heat until the sauce coats the pork—turn off the heat as soon as it thickens. Garnish with scallions in two stages. Done this way, it’s savory, sweet, sour, and spicy with silky pork—an absolute rice-killer!
This Yu Xiang Rou Si is sweet, sour, and slightly spicy, with silky tender pork—a classic Sichuan rice-killer. If you like this fish-fragrant flavor, you can also try my previously posted Fish-Fragrant Eggplant . For more classic home-style dishes, check out my Home-style Dishes category!
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