Shanxi Guoyou Rou (Shanxi Instant-Deep-Fried Pork)

Shanxi Guoyou Rou (Shanxi Instant-Deep-Fried Pork)

Shanxi Guoyou Rou (Shanxi Instant-Deep-Fried Pork) is a home-style meat dish at difficulty 4/5 (Advanced), about 679 kcal. Guoyou Rou is a traditional famous dish from Shanxi province. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.

Difficulty

4 / 5

★★★★☆

Advanced
Estimated Calories

679 kcal

Ingredients

  • Pork Tenderloin (佩条第)
  • Garlic Spears (Loofah or Chives stems)
  • Salt
  • Soy Sauce
  • Scallions, Ginger, and Garlic
  • Egg
  • Starch
  • Cooking Oil
  • Black Fungus (Wood Ear Mushrooms)
  • Onion
  • Cooking Wine
  • Aged Vinegar
  • Szechuan Pepper Powder
  • Chicken Powder

Steps

  1. Soak the black fungus in advance. If pressed for time, you can use hot water to quick-soak it.
  2. Slice the pork tenderloin thinly and place it in a bowl. Add 20ml of light soy sauce, cooking wine, and Szechuan pepper powder. Crack in one egg and mix thoroughly with your hand. Add starch (recommended to use sweet potato starch) and mix until combined. Pour 300ml of cooking oil over the mixture to coat (marinade). Marinate for 15 minutes.
  3. Cut the garlic spears into segments, about 3cm long, and dice the onion into diamond-shaped chunks for later use.
  4. Heat the wok and add plenty of oil. Once the oil reaches medium heating temperature (about 50% heat/140°C), add the marinated pork slices and toss/shred them to separate. Remove and drain the oil, then set aside.
  5. Pour out the excess oil in the wok, leaving 10ml of oil to stir-fry the vegetables. Heat the oil to ripening temperature (about 70% heat/180°C).
  6. Fry scallion, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. First, stir-fry the garlic spears until semi-cooked, then add the black fungus and onion chunks. Add soy sauce, Szechuan pepper powder, stir-fry for a few moments, then add the previously deep-fried pork slices and stir-fry together.
  7. Add 10g of salt. Before taking the dish off the heat, add 10ml of vinegar and chicken powder. Serve and plate.

Notes

Guoyou Rou is a traditional famous dish from Shanxi province. The meat slices are smooth and tender, and the garlic spears are crisp and refreshing—the dish is salty, fresh, and slightly sour, carrying the rich aroma of aged vinegar. It is a typical home-style local flavor. Pork tenderloin provides high-quality protein, and the combination with black fungus, garlic spears, and onion creates a balanced nutritional profile. This dish demands some skill regarding heat control and the marinating/coating techniques, making it suitable for enthusiasts with some cooking foundation. From preparation to serving, it takes approximately 40 minutes.

Estimated Difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated Calories: 679 kcal

Calculations:
Based on my large appetite, this amount is for one person.

- Pork Tenderloin: 150g
- Garlic Spears: 6 stalks
- Cooking Oil: 300ml
- Scallion, Ginger, Garlic: 50g
- Light Soy Sauce: 20ml
- Salt: 10g
- Egg: 1 unit
- Starch: 10g
- Black Fungus: 20g
- Onion: 100g
- Other Seasonings: 20g

- During deep-frying the pork slices, they are ready when the surface is slightly golden. Pay attention to controlling the heat.
- Before serving, you can also add a thin layer of starch slurry (water mixture) for a better texture.

If you encounter any issues or find areas for improvement while following this guide, please submit an issue or a pull request.

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