Stir-Fried Pork and Green Chilies

Qingjiao Rousi (青椒肉丝)

Tender pork slivers are stir-fried with spicy green chilies and aromatic garlic and ginger. This dish is simple, but flavorful with a powerful punch of heat from long Chinese green chilies.

Stir-Fried Pork and Green Chilies is a popular dish in China, both in restaurants and at home. It's easy to prepare and requires only a few common ingredients, making it a go-to home-cooked meal. Homestyle versions of this dish often will include an extra punch of flavor from Pickled Red Chilies, Sichuan Chili Bean Paste, and/ or Sichuan Pickled Vegetables (泡菜). Restaurant versions, like the following recipe, are a bit more simplified, but fully utilize and emphasize the delicious flavor of the Green Chilies.

Both at restaurants and in homes, Stir-Fried Pork and Green Chilies is often augmented with a touch of Lard. The Lard is melted in Peanut Oil, which is then used to flash-fry the thin slivers of Pork. The extra fat deepens the richness of the meat, adding subtle layers of flavor. The Pork itself doesn't need to be sliced into extremely thin slivers to be tender and flavorful. However, thin slivers will cook much faster. I’ve noticed that home cooks tend to cut the slivers a bit thicker when making this dish compared with restaurant chefs. Regardless, the slivers should always be less than 1/4-inch thick.

Stir-Fried Pork and Green Chilies can be prepared with a variety of Green Chilies ranging from mild to spicy. Commonly, a long, thin Green Chili is used that is both spicy and flavorful. This Green Chili is called Er Jing Tiao (二荆条) or Green Line Chilies (青线椒) – these are technically considered different chilies with Er Jing Tiao being milder although their flavor and appearance are nearly identical. Another popular Green Chili is Pointed Peppers (尖头椒), which are milder than Er Jing Tiao but still has a touch of heat. Non-traditionally, Green Bell Pepper could be used for a purely non-spicy version, though it would be less flavorful and a bit less fun.

If this is your first time cooking this dish, check out my in-depth guide to preparing Pork Slivers (肉丝).

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

225 – 250 grams of Pork Loin

Marinade
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1 Egg White
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
2 Tbsp. Peanut Oil

12 – 20 long Green Chilies (二荆条)

Aromatics
4 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger

1 cup of Peanut Oil
1/4 cup of Lard (Optional)

Sauces and Seasonings
1/2 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. MSG
1/4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder

Directions

1.) Prepare the Pork by slicing it into slivers and placing the slivers in a bowl:

• Slice the Pork lengthwise into long, thin slices each 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick and about 4-inches long.
• After each cut, rotate the top of the cleaver away from the meat, laying that piece atop the previous and forming a neat stack of slices.
• Spread the slices across the cutting board like spreading a deck of cards.
• Cut each slice into long, thin slivers about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. The size should be thicker than a matchstick and thinner than a chopstick.

(The thickness of the slivers will depend on preference. But ideally, they should be closer to 1/8-inch thick so as to rapidly absorb flavor from the Chilies).

2.) Fill the bowl of Pork slivers with water and wash them, wringing out the meat several times underwater. Firmly squeeze out the water and place the slivers in a dry bowl.

3.) Add the Marinade ingredients in stages, mixing each by hand until fully incorporated and no excess liquid remains:

• Add the Rice Wine, Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Salt, and White Pepper and mix until fully absorbed.
• Add the Egg White and mix by hand until absorbed by the slivers.
• Add the Corn Starch and mix thoroughly until every sliver is coated.
• Add the Peanut Oil and mix lightly.
• Allow the Pork slivers to marinate while preparing the other ingredients.

4.) Cut the Green Chilies on a bias to create long, thin slices that are about 1/8-inch thick. Set them aside in an empty bowl.

(The amount of sliced Green Chilies should be slightly more than the amount of Pork slivers).

5.) Peel, smash, and mince the Garlic and Ginger. Set them aside together in a bowl for Aromatics.

6.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium-high heat and fill the wok with about 1 cup of Peanut Oil and 1/4 cup of Lard. Once the Oil is hot and the Lard has melted, add the Pork slivers and stir them quickly to separate the pieces and prevent them from sticking. Cook the slivers for about 45 seconds or until all of the pieces are white. Pour the contents of the wok into a wire strainer set over an empty pot to strain out the meat and clean out the wok.

7.) Add about 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil back to the wok and heat on medium-high. When hot, pull the wok away from heat and add the Aromatics, stir-frying them just a few seconds until fragrant.

8.) Add the Green Chilies and return the wok to heat, stir-frying them for about 30 seconds until the Chilies have just softened or until the Chilies have developed a light char depending on preference.

9.) Add the Pork slivers to the wok and stir-fry everything just until mixed.

10.) Pull the wok away from heat and add the Sauces and Seasonings (Light Soy Sauce, Sugar, Salt, MSG, and Chicken Bouillon), splashing the Soy Sauce around the sides of the wok.

11.) Return the wok to heat and toss everything together briefly. Spoon the Stir-Fried Pork and Green Chilies onto a plate and serve with individual bowls of white rice.

 

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