Twice-Cooked Pork
Pork first simmered, then stir-fried with peppers and bean paste.
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Huaiyang Jingjiang Pork Shreds
Silky pork shreds glazed in sweet bean sauce, served over blanched cucumber with scalded scallion and warm tofu skin for wrapping. Adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report — 京酱肉丝淮扬版, report 159.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 京酱肉丝淮扬版_159.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 5 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 1–2Difficulty: Easy–MediumRegion: HuaiyangFlavour: Sweet-savoury bean sauce
Home adaptation note: The report is one portion (200 g pork); quantities below are that portion. The Huaiyang change from the Beijing original — less sugar, less oil, more freshness — is the report's own framing and is kept here.
Why this works
The Huaiyang version of this Beijing classic is defined by restraint. Sugar is cut back and oil is kept to twenty millilitres, so the sweet bean sauce tastes of the bean and the pork rather than of sweetness alone. The pork is cut six centimetres long and only three millimetres thick, coated with starch at a precise ratio, and marinated for just five minutes — longer and it starts to weep water. It is then slid through oil at about one hundred and sixty degrees for only thirty seconds, just until it changes colour, so it stays tender. The sauce itself is fried gently until it bubbles like fish eyes, the report's visual cue, and the pork goes back in for a ten-second high-heat toss. Cucumber and scallion are blanched for ten seconds and shocked in ice water, which keeps them crisp and bright while satisfying the report's rule that no garnish is served raw.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork tenderloin, cut into 6 cm shreds | 7 oz | 200 g | Tenderloin, per the report. |
| Cucumber, cut into fine shreds | 3.5 oz | 100 g | Blanch 10 seconds, shock in ice water. |
| Tofu skin (qianzhang), cut into 10 cm squares | 5.3 oz | 150 g | Scald 10 seconds; do not exceed 15 seconds or it tears. |
| Sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang) | 2 tbsp | 30 g | — |
| Sugar | 2 tsp | 10 g | Less than the Beijing original, per the report. |
| Shaoxing wine | 2 tsp | 10 ml | For the marinade. |
| Corn starch, divided | 1 tbsp + 2 tsp | 20 g | 15 g for coating the pork, 5 g mixed with 20 ml water for the glaze. |
| Light soy sauce | 1 tsp | 5 ml | For the marinade. |
| Scallion, cut into shreds | 0.7 oz | 20 g | Blanch 10 seconds, shock, squeeze dry. |
| Neutral cooking oil | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | 20 ml | — |
| Salt | A pinch | A pinch | Report says 'a little salt' without a quantity; amount is a home adaptation. |
Equipment
- Wok or large skillet — no wok required (adaptation)
- Bowl of ice water for shocking the vegetables
- Small bowl for the starch slurry
Steps
- Marinate the pork. Cut the pork into 6 cm shreds, 0.3 cm thick. Toss with wine, 15 g starch, soy sauce and a pinch of salt; marinate 5 minutes and no more than 10.
- Blanch the accompaniments. Blanch the cucumber shreds and scallion shreds in boiling water for 10 seconds, shock in ice water, drain and squeeze the scallion dry. Scald the tofu skin squares for 10 seconds and drain.
- Slide the pork. Heat the oil to about 160 °C (60% heat). Slide the pork in and stir-fry until it just changes colour, about 30 seconds; lift out.
- Fry the sauce. Leave about 5 ml oil in the pan. Add the sweet bean sauce and sugar on low heat and fry gently until fragrant and bubbling, about 20 seconds. Do not use high heat or the sugar will scorch and turn bitter.
- Glaze and plate. Turn to high heat, return the pork, toss 10 seconds, drizzle in the starch slurry and toss until glazed. Remove from the heat at once. Lay the cucumber on the plate, top with the pork, scatter the scallion, and serve the tofu skin alongside for wrapping.
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Technique: Ten seconds, then off the heat
The whole finish takes seconds: sauce bubbling on low heat, pork back in on high heat for ten seconds, glaze, out. Any longer and the shreds dry out and the pan starts to stick, which is exactly what the report warns against.
Variations
- Pancake version: Serve with thin pancakes instead of tofu skin, as in the Beijing original — the pork and sauce are unchanged.
- Chicken version: Use chicken breast cut the same way; slide it a few seconds longer until just cooked through (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Why is my pork sticky or gummy?
Too much starch, or too long a marinade. The report's ratio is 13 parts pork to 1 part starch, and the marinade must not exceed 10 minutes.
Why did the sauce turn bitter?
The sweet bean sauce was fried on too high a heat and the sugar scorched. Keep it low until it bubbles.
Can I skip blanching the cucumber and scallion?
The report requires it for food safety and for crispness; raw garnish changes both the safety profile and the texture.
Storage
Best eaten fresh; the glaze softens on standing. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; reheat gently until steaming hot. Keep tofu skin separate.
Huaiyang Jingjiang Pork Shreds — Recipe Card
Tender pork shreds in sweet bean sauce over blanched cucumber, with tofu skin for wrapping.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 5 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 1–2
Ingredients: 200 g pork tenderloin; 100 g cucumber; 150 g tofu skin; 30 g sweet bean sauce; 10 g sugar; 10 ml wine; 20 g corn starch; 5 ml light soy; 20 g scallion; 20 ml oil; pinch of salt.
Steps: 1) Marinate pork shreds 5 minutes. 2) Blanch cucumber, scallion and tofu skin 10 seconds each. 3) Slide pork 30 seconds at 160 °C. 4) Fry sauce on low heat until bubbling. 5) Toss pork 10 seconds, glaze, plate over cucumber.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 京酱肉丝淮扬版 (data/reports/159.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The pinch of salt in the marinade has no quantity in the report and is labelled as an adaptation.