Intro
Tansuyuk is a Chinese dish that is deep fried crispy pork drenched in sweet and sour sauce and it has become a popular staple in Korea. The dish was introduced from the community of Chinese immigrants in Korea. Predominantly in Incheon where so many Chinese immigrants lived. As it popularity rose, the evolution of the dish has changed as certain ingredients were replaced. The type of starch that is used in Korean iteration of this dish is potato starch instead of glutinous rice flour. The use of potato starch gives the dish a much more crunchy texture without sacrificing the color due to the high boiling temperature.
Ingredients
Tangsuyuk is primarily prepared with pork, but in some instances, it can be made with beef. In this recipe, pork will be used. Before you start frying it is important to prepare all your ingredients from the start. This will include marinating the pork loin with ginger, black pepper, salt, cooking wine, and sugar for at least and 30 minutes. The longer the better.
For the batter, you will need a type of starch and it can be any kind of starch, but I found that there was a particular reason to why potato starch is used. Potato starch in comparison to other type so starches has a higher boiling point, so you can achieve a satisfying level of crispiness without affecting the color of it. The starch will have to be submerged in water for at least and hour. This will give the dish that iconic chewy yet crispy texture.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
The sweet and sour sauce is a must when it comes to Tangsuyuk. Its thick and sticky texture is a stark contrast to the chew and crunchy texture of the pork batter. It is made from mixing up water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, carrot, cucumber, onion, woodear mushroom, and a slurry mix. The sauce is is perfect for dipping or pouring it all over the dish. It is completely up to preference.
Tangsuyuk
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork loin
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 cup potato starch
- Water
- 1 egg
Sauce Mix
- 1 cup water
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup carrot
- 1/4 cup cucumber
- 1/2 onion
- 3 woodear mushroom
- Slurry Mix 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch and 1 tbsp of water
Instructions
- Prepare first by slicing the pork loin into thin strips. In a mixing bowl, add the ginger, black pepper, salt, cooking wine, and the sugar. Mix thoroughly. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, prepare 1 cup of potato starch and add enough water. Let it rest for an hour and then seperate the water from the starch. Add one egg and mix it up.
- Add the egg/starch mix into the pork and mix thoroughly.
- Fry at 350 °F for 4-5 minutes. Set it aside to cool.
- To prepare the sauce mix, start by cutting up the carrots, cucumber, onion, and the woodear mushrooms.
- In a saucepan, add the water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Let it simmer until it boils, then add the carrot, cucumber, onion, and the woodear mushroom.
- Then add the slurry mix to help thicken the sauce.
- Dip or pour the sauce as per preference. Enjoy!
