Pao Jiao Chao Rou Si (泡椒炒肉丝)

Pao jiao — pickled millet peppers — are a defining ingredient of Hunan home cooking, delivering a uniquely sour heat that is quite different from either fresh or dried chilli. Stir-fried at wok-blaze speed with thin pork strips, the dish is one of the region's fastest weeknight meals, celebrating Hunan's love of complex acid-and-heat flavour layering.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 350g (12 oz) pork loin or tenderloin
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce
• 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Stir-fry:

• 80g (3 oz) pao jiao (Chinese pickled millet peppers), drained and halved — available in jars at Asian supermarkets
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp (30ml) neutral oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce
• 1 tsp black vinegar
• ½ tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Slice pork against the grain into 5mm (¼ in) strips. Toss with cornflour, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. Marinate 15 minutes.
2. Bring a wok or large frying pan to smoking-hot over high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil, swirl to coat.
3. Spread pork strips in a single layer and sear without stirring for 60 seconds until lightly charred. Stir-fry a further 60–90 seconds until just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
4. Add remaining oil to the hot wok. Fry garlic 15 seconds, then add pao jiao and green pepper. Stir-fry 2 minutes until the pepper has softened slightly but retains a bite.
5. Return pork to the wok. Add soy sauce, black vinegar, and sugar. Toss everything together over maximum heat 1 minute.
6. Taste and adjust salt. Plate immediately and serve with steamed rice.

Cook's Notes: The pao jiao brine can be splashed into the wok for extra sour depth — add 1–2 tbsp with the final seasoning. Do not overcook the pork strips or they become tough; the velveting marinade with cornflour keeps them tender. Substitute pao jiao with a mix of pickled jalapeños and a splash of rice vinegar in a pinch.