Xiaosu Rou (Crispy Pork Strips)

Difficulty ★★★Updated 1/25/2026

Ingredients and Tools

  • Peeled pork (choose lean/fat ratio as desired)
  • Vegetable oil
  • Old ginger
  • Scallions
  • Cooking wine
  • Salt
  • Thirteen-spice
  • Pepper powder
  • MSG
  • Chicken bouillon powder
  • Crushed Sichuan pepper
  • Sichuan peppercorns
  • Light soy sauce
  • Eggs
  • Flour
  • Sweet potato starch

Measurements

  • Pork 500 grams auxiliaries
  • Eggs 2
  • Flour 30 grams
  • Sweet potato starch 120 grams scallion-ginger water
  • Old ginger 20 grams
  • Scallions 15 grams
  • Cooking wine 15 grams
  • Water 80 grams marinating seasonings
  • Salt 4 grams
  • Thirteen-spice 2 grams
  • Pepper powder 3 grams
  • MSG 5 grams
  • Chicken bouillon powder 5 grams
  • Crushed Sichuan pepper 3 grams
  • Sichuan peppercorns 3 grams
  • Light soy sauce 8 grams

Steps

  • Slice the old ginger; do not cut the scallions.
  • Pour in the cooking wine and water according to the calculation formula.
  • Knead by hand for 5 minutes so the flavors of ginger and scallion fully dissolve into the water. Pork prep
  • Remove the skin, wash the pork clean.
  • Cut into strips 8~10 cm long and 1.5 cm thick.
  • Add salt, thirteen-spice, pepper powder, MSG, chicken bouillon powder, crushed Sichuan pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, and light soy sauce according to the calculation formula above.
  • Pour in the scallion-ginger water made earlier.
  • Mix evenly and knead thoroughly for 10 minutes, until the meat absorbs all the water and becomes sticky.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Coating the pork
  • Add flour and sweet potato starch to the marinated meat and add egg whites.
  • Knead thoroughly for 15 minutes. First fry to set shape
  • Pour vegetable oil into the pot, adjust the amount based on pot size; oil depth should be at least 3 cm.
  • Heat over high heat to 150°, then turn to low heat to maintain the temperature.
  • Use chopsticks to lower the coated pork strips into the oil, shape them as you like, and fry for 3~5 minutes to set. When the color is slightly yellow and they feel a bit firm when stirred with a spatula, they are done. The exact time depends on meat size, oil temperature, and coating.
  • Remove and drain oil. tips: If you’re not sure about the timing, you can fry a little longer; otherwise the meat may taste slightly raw. If you have no experience, fry one piece at a time to prevent sticking. Second fry to finish
  • Raise the oil temperature to 180°, add the first-fried pork strips, and fry until golden, then remove.

Notes

  • When coating, be sure to knead the sweet potato starch to break it up; do not leave dry granules in it, or it will splatter when frying!!!
  • If there is too much meat to finish, you can fry only once and then refrigerate. When you want to eat later, take it out and fry again; the texture is basically unaffected. If you follow this guide and find any issues or improvements, please submit an Issue or Pull request.