Shredded Pork with Sweet Bean Sauce

Sweet Bean Sauce (or the better known Cantonese version of Hoisin Sauce in the U.S.) is one of my favorite sauces to cook with in the kitchen. It's sweet and savory at the same time and works perfectly with meat, poultry, or even vegetables.

In Beijing cuisine, Shredded Pork with Sweet Bean Sauce (京酱肉丝) is probably one of next most classic and popular dishes after Peking Duck. I like to stuff the cooked meat with some shredded scallions into a steamed roll. Each bite packs tons of flavor thanks to the sweet bean sauce. The meat is so tender and velvety that it clouds in your mouth. It's like eating burgers! As long as you get the right sauce, which is really easy to find in your local Chinese supermarket, you don't need to travel that far to enjoy this delicious dish. 

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pork tenderloin, about 1.3 pounds
• 6 scallions, white and light green part only, thinly shredded 
• 3 tablespoons sweet bean sauce (make sure it's not Hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce is a premixed concoction using sweet bean sauce and is good for dipping. Here is a picture of the one I use for your reference.)
• 3 tablespoons low sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Turbinado sugar
• canola oil
• 6 store bought steamed rolls

Directions: 

1. Cut the scallions along the stems into thinly slices that curl up by themselves. Drop them into hot (but not boiling) water and let them sit for 2 minutes. Drain well, pat dry and place the scallions on a plate. Set aside.
2. Trim fat from pork loin; cut pork with grain into 2 x 1 inch strips. Cut strips across grain into 1/8 inch slices. Stack slices; cut into thin strips. (It's important to cut pork this way to get the right texture)
3. In a large bowl, mix together the shredded pork loin, grated ginger, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, corn starch, and sugar. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.
4. In a medium pan, heat up 1/2 cup oil on high heat. Add the shredded pork and cook for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Use a slotted cooking spoon to remove the pork from the pan. Pour out the extra oil and leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan to cook the sauce with.
5. Mix together sweet bean sauce, chicken stock and garlic. Turn the heat back on medium high in the cooking pan. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring it with a wooden spatula to prevent burning at the bottom. 
6. Pour the cooked pork back into the sauce mixture in the pan. Turn the heat to medium, mix well and cook for another 1 minutes.  
7. Place pork on top of the scallions. Serve with steamed rolls immediately.