Mang chua xao thit heo is at its best when the bamboo stays crisp, the pork stays firm, and the sour and salty notes sit level with each other. The tricky part is that sour bamboo turns sharp easily and drowns out the meat.
The bamboo is rinsed several times and squeezed lightly to soften the sourness before it is cut. The pork marinates for 15 minutes, then stir fries over high heat for 5 minutes until firm, and only then does the bamboo go in for another 10 minutes.
This batch weighs about 538g, at roughly 115 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse the sour bamboo several times in clean water, squeeze it lightly to soften the sharp sourness, cut into small pieces and drain.
Rinse the pork in lightly salted water, slice it thin, then drain. Set the minced garlic aside.
Mix the pork with 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, work it in by hand, then rest the meat for 15 minutes in a cool spot.
Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan and fry the minced garlic over medium heat until lightly golden.
Add the pork and stir fry over high heat for about 5 minutes, until cooked through and firm.
Add the sour bamboo and toss for about 10 minutes, until it takes on the seasoning and turns tender. Taste, adjust, then turn off the heat.
Tips
A light squeeze after rinsing pulls out the sharpest sourness and lets the salt and sweetness balance.
Naturally fermented bamboo is pale yellow with a slightly dull cast, so avoid anything bright white or unusually glossy yellow.
Searing the pork over high heat first, before the bamboo goes in, keeps the meat from turning chewy.
Bamboo that goes into the pan wet leaves the dish watery, so drain it well.
Give the bamboo a full 10 minutes in the pan before seasoning again, since seasoning early turns the dish salty once the bamboo releases its water.
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.