Ingredients
Pork lean meat 1000 g (about 2.2 lbs), hawthorn 100 g (about 3.5 oz).
Seasonings
250 g (about 1 cup) vegetable oil, 15 g (about 1 tablespoon) sesame oil, 15 g ginger (sliced), 25 g scallions (cut into sections), 25 g (about 2 tablespoons) sugar, 3 g (about 1 teaspoon) Sichuan peppercorns, 20 g (about 1.5 tablespoons) cooking wine, 10 g (about 2 teaspoons) soy sauce, 1 g (about 1/4 teaspoon) MSG.
Instructions
1. Remove the sinew from the lean pork and rinse clean; pick over and rinse the hawthorn berries, then lightly crush them; wash the ginger and scallions, slicing the ginger and cutting the scallions into sections. Place 50 g (about 1/4 cup) of the hawthorn berries with some water in a pot, bring to a boil, then add the pork and cook until about 60% done. Remove the meat, let it cool, then cut into 5 cm (2-inch) thick strips. Mix the strips with soy sauce, ginger, scallions, cooking wine, and Sichuan peppercorns, marinate for about 1 hour, then drain off any excess liquid.
2. Place a wok over high heat, heat the vegetable oil until hot, then add the meat strips and deep-fry until cooked through and golden yellow. Remove and drain the oil. Briefly fry the remaining 50 g (about 1/4 cup) of hawthorn berries in the oil, then return the dried meat to the wok. Stir-fry repeatedly over low heat until the meat is dry and crisp. Drizzle with sesame oil, add MSG and sugar, toss to combine evenly, then remove from the wok and plate. This dish features golden, glossy meat strips that are sweet, fragrant, crispy, and slightly tangy. It is especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people with poor appetite due to spleen deficiency, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.