International dishesPan Roasted DishesTaiwanAbout 2 hours
Taiwanese spicy pork floss takes about two hours, and one batch lasts a week. Lean pork is simmered until tender, shredded, then dry roasted with chili powder and five spice so it comes out hot and fragrant at once.
The final roasting is the tricky part, since a flame even slightly too high turns the strands bitter. The meat is cut into long pieces along the grain so the shreds hold together. At the end the heat drops right down and the pan needs constant stirring until the strands turn light and fluffy.
This batch weighs about 1.6kg, at roughly 180 calories per 100g.
Method
Boil 0.5kg pork shoulder in water for about 2 minutes, then lift it out and rinse it. Cut the meat into long pieces along the grain.
Marinate the pork for 15 minutes with sliced ginger, 1 shallot, 3 red dates, 1 large apple, 3 bay leaves, 2 star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 small chilies, 100ml cooking wine and a little salt.
Put the marinated pork in a pressure cooker, add water to just cover it, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
Lift the pork onto a board, pound it lightly to loosen the fibers, then shred it with a fork or in a stand mixer for about 20 minutes.
Mix the sauce: 1 teaspoon char siu powder, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 45g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, a little five spice powder, 2 teaspoons cooking oil, 1 teaspoon seasoning powder and 20g chili powder, stirred until combined.
Add the shredded pork to the sauce, put on gloves and toss until fully coated, then cover it and leave it for 30 minutes.
Heat a pan and stir the pork over medium heat until the marinade has dried off, then lower the heat and keep stirring until the strands are crisp and fluffy.
Let the floss cool completely, pack it in an airtight box and store it in the freezer. To serve, thaw it in the fridge or microwave it for about 30 seconds.
Tips
Without a pressure cooker, simmer the meat on the stove for about 1 hour, until it pulls apart by hand.
The golden brown color comes from the caramel sauce rather than from the sweetener, and a long reduction chasing more color only dries the meat out.
Constant stirring on the lowest heat is what the last stage needs, since a minute of stillness scorches the strands on the pan.
The floss has to be completely cool before it is packed, or trapped steam turns it moldy.
Char siu powder and five spice powder are sold in small packets at markets, and red dates at dry goods stalls or Chinese medicine shops.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.