Liu Rou Duan

Pat 400 g pork tenderloin dry and cut into evenly thick pieces about 1.5 × 2.5 cm. Mix with 2 g salt. Cut 70 g green bell pepper into 2.5 cm pieces and dry well. Mince 20 g garlic and thinly slice 10 g Chinese scallion.

Mix 160 g potato starch with 130 g water into a thick batter. Coat all the pork, then mix in 20 g cooking oil. The batter should cling thickly without dry powder or watery runoff. Stir again after standing; do not thin it with extra water.

Mix 20 g light soy sauce, 10 g black vinegar, 13 g sugar, 7 g cornstarch, 3 g sesame oil and the remaining 70 g water in a small bowl. Stir again just before adding to the wok to lift any settled starch.

Add enough frying oil to submerge the pork in a deep wok, keeping the oil below halfway up the pan. Heat to about 160–170°C. Lower the pieces individually in spaced batches. Separate gently once the crust sets. Fry each batch for about 2–3 minutes, until pale golden and cooked through, then drain. Let the oil recover between batches; adjust to the actual thickness and cooking state.

Bring the oil to about 180°C. Fry the pork again in batches for about 30–60 seconds, until golden with a firm crisp crust. Drain immediately. Do not wait for smoking oil or keep frying to a dark brown just to meet a time.

Carefully transfer the frying oil to a heatproof container, leaving a thin film in the wok. Stir-fry all the scallion and half the garlic over medium heat until fragrant. Add all the pepper and stir-fry over medium-high heat until bright and just tender, keeping it crisp.

Stir the sauce from Step 3 again and pour it all into the wok. Bring to a boil, stirring until glossy and thick enough to lightly coat the spatula. If still watery, cook it longer before adding the pork.

Add all the fried pork and the remaining half of the garlic. Toss quickly over high heat for about 10–15 seconds to coat the pork thinly, then plate immediately. Leave no large pool of sauce and serve hot to preserve the crust.