Shoestring potatoes and pork stir-fry 土豆絲炒豬肉 (tǔ dòu sī chǎo zhū ròu) is a very common household dish in mainland China. Not only are potatoes nutritious, they're economical too. So when you’re on a budget, potatoes are a great way to make a tasty and hearty dish. There are many variations such as adding chilies and vinegar; green and red peppers; onions and beef; and the list goes on.
A very popular potato dish in China is the Sour and Spicy Julienned Potatoes 酸辣土豆絲 (sūan là tǔ dòu sī). They cut the potatoes by hand to thin slices and then cut again to thin strips. Then, they fry the potatoes in very hot oil in a very hot wok for a very short time with julienned green peppers and chilies. Stir-frying thin strips of potatoes without breaking them is a very difficult task. Although this is a simple dish, it can be used to test your culinary skills.
My culinary skills are not great, so the recipe that I’m sharing is a more common and easier method of stir-frying potatoes. I choose to cut my potatoes a bit courser, more shoestring-sized. The taste is more family-oriented with no chilies. The sweet soy sauce that I use is not only easy, it’s very tasty. I used to add sugar to my soy sauce to make a sweet soy taste but sometimes it’s too sweet and sometimes too salty. Now, I use Lee Kum Kee Sweet Soy Sauce for practically everything. I even use it to make a teriyaki sauce!
You can make Shoestring potatoes and pork stir-fry 土豆絲炒豬肉 to go with rice, congee, noodles in soup or steamed buns. Use this recipe to make an omelet or wrap them in lettuce or a spring roll wrapper (yes, spring roll wrappers are already cooked so they can be eaten right out of the package). Whip up this dish in 20-25 minutes. Kids will love it and with all the time you saved, you’ll love it too!
Need more ideas for dinner? Try my Steamed Egg with Pork 滑蛋蒸豬肉 or Honey Soy Chicken 蜜汁豉油雞扒.
Not sure where to purchase Lee Kum Kee's Sweet Soy Sauce? Check out their website: https://ca.lkk.com/en/products/sweet-soy-sauce
Shoestring potatoes and pork stir-fry 土豆絲炒豬肉
Ingredients
- 350 g Pork shredded
- 350 g Potatoes shredded (equal weight as pork)
- ½ stalk Green onions chopped
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Corn starch
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp Oil for marinade
- 1 tbsp Sweet soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel and cut potatoes into shoestring size and soak in water for 10 minutes. Let the water drain in a colander and set aside
- Marinade shredded pork with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp corn starch, 1 tsp Shaoxing wine and mix well. Add 1 tsp oil, mix well and set aside
- Heat pan to medium high and add 3 tbsp oil
- Add potatoes to the pan and spread the potatoes out and let it fry for 2 minutes without stirring
- Flip potatoes over and fry for another 2 minutes
- Flip and stir the potatoes until most turn into a golden colour and remove them from the pan
- Make sure that the pan is free of any stuck on potatoes
- There should still be some oil from frying the potatoes. If there is no more oil in the pan, you’ll need to add a tsp of oil into the pan
- Add the pork. Spread evenly in the pan and let it fry for 2 minutes or until golden on one side
- Flip the pork over and let the other side fry for 2 minutes
- Start stir-frying the pork until 90% done
- Add the potatoes pack in. Stir-fry together for 1 minute
- Add 1 tbsp of sweet soy sauce in a circular motion into the pan
- Stir-fry for another minute
- Turn off heat
- Add chopped green onions, mix and serve
Shelly Biswal
When to add the cornstarch n sweet soy sauce?
Auntie Emily
Hi Shelly, I apologize for this oversight! The corn starch goes in when marinating the pork. The sweet soy is in step 13. Thanks for pointing this out. I am fixing the recipe now. Happy cooking!