Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork (Yu Xiang Rou Si)

Nov 16, 2025
1 min read

Ok. There's absolutely not a whit of fish, fish sauce, or anything fishy in this Szechuan dish, so why is it fish flavored? According to legend, a local Szechuan woman had some leftover sauce comprised of garlic, ginger, scallions, wine, chili sauce and vinegar that she had always used for cooking fish and one day decided to use it in a different preparation. It was so delicious that the rest is history. Nowadays, "Fish'flavored" sauce is used to cook a variety of different ingredients, including pork and eggplant. This is my version, which is on the wet side, because I really like to mix the extra sauce in with white rice.

Note on the sauce:

*Dried wood ear fungus can be found whole or shredded in the dried food section of most Asian markets. The shredded variety is less time-consuming for this dish but if you can only find whole, just rehydrate and then slice them thinly before using.

Note on the sauce:

**If at all possible, use the vacuum-packed bamboo shoots found in the refrigerated section of most Asian markets. Otherwise, canned bamboo shoots are ok.

Notes

Mix shredded meat with marinade ingredients, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes up to overnight; set aside.

Cook the pork in 2 batches (adding extra oil for the second batch if needed), depending on the size of your pan, so that the pork doesn't just boil or simmer in the pan. For the first batch, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over high heat in a large skillet or wok; add half of the pork and sauté until just cooked through; remove to a bowl & set aside. If the pan is dry, add another couple tablespoons of oil and sauté the remaining half of the meat until just done; remove and set aside.

Prep the vegetables and combine the sauce ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.

Rehydrate the shredded dried wood ear fungus in hot water until softened (20-30 minutes). Drain the wood ear fungus before using.

In the same wok, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and heat over medium heat; add garlic, green onion, ginger, Fresno chili peppers and toss for 10-20 seconds or until fragrant. Next add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and wood ear fungus and stir for a few seconds to incorporate; add hot bean paste and stir well.