The fast plate I make when the soaked yuba is ready and the pork belly is sliced is this one – yuba and pork stir, and this home cook’s version renders the belly first, then darkens it with two spoons of dark soy. A home cook wrote it in ten steps with the warning in the last: prepare enough rice. I made it as written, and it is the glossy, two-minute toss that empties the bowl.

Fu zhu chao rou (腐竹炒肉) is yuba and pork stir – pork belly rendered and darkened with dark soy and wine, then tossed with soaked yuba, light soy, and oyster sauce, and finished with green and red peppers.

What Is Yuba and Pork Stir?

This is the fast yuba plate: pork belly slices go into a hot pan and cook until they change color and the fat runs; scallion, garlic, a spoon of cooking wine, and two spoons of dark soy follow and toss until the meat is dark. The soaked yuba goes in with a spoon of light soy and a spoon of oyster sauce for a two-minute toss, then green and red peppers join until everything is cooked – and off the heat.

For the all-yuba mushroom braise of the same stick, my yuba and shiitake braise leaves out the pork.

Why This Recipe Works

[‘
• Render the belly first. The fat is the flavor.

‘, ‘

• Dark soy and wine. The color step.

‘, ‘

• Yuba last, two minutes. It warms, never mush.

‘, ‘

• Peppers at the very end. A little crunch and color.

‘, “

• Off the heat fast. The recipe’s speed.

“]

Equipment Needed

• A wok or skillet
• A spatula

Ingredients

• 150 g (5.3 oz) pork belly, sliced
• Dried yuba, soaked
• 1 green and 1 red pepper, in pieces
• 1 tbsp cooking wine, 2 tbsp dark soy, 1 tbsp light soy, and 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• A little scallion, garlic, and oil

Ingredient Notes

Pork belly: Rendered, then darkened. Yuba: Soaked, warmed in the sauce. My yuba and shiitake braise is the no-meat version. The peppers: Last, for the crunch.

Prep & Mise en Place

Soak the yuba; slice the pork; cut the peppers; slice the aromatics.

Cooking Process

Step 1 – Heat the pan and the oil – hot pan, hot oil

Heat the pan and the oil – hot pan, hot oil.

Step 2 – Add the pork belly

Add the pork belly.

Step 3 – Cook until the slices change color and the fat runs out

Cook until the slices change color and the fat runs out.

Step 4 – Add a little scallion and garlic, a spoon of cooking wi

Add a little scallion and garlic, a spoon of cooking wine, and two spoons of dark soy.

Step 5 – Toss until evenly colored

Toss until evenly colored.

Step 6 – Add the soaked yuba, with a spoon of light soy and a sp

Add the soaked yuba, with a spoon of light soy and a spoon of oyster sauce; toss 2 minutes.

Step 7 – Add the green and red peppers and toss again

Add the green and red peppers and toss again.

Step 8 – Toss until the yuba is cooked through – and it is done

Toss until the yuba is cooked through – and it is done.

Step 9 – Good with rice, and good for it

Good with rice, and good for it.

Step 10 – Prepare enough rice – you will want it

Prepare enough rice – you will want it.

Common Mistakes When Making This Dish

1. Pale, steamed pork. Cause: crowding or low heat. Fix: hot pan, render it. 2. A bitter dark-soy note. Cause: too much or burnt. Fix: two spoons, into the rendered fat. 3. Mushy yuba. Cause: too long. Fix: two minutes. 4. Soggy peppers. Cause: added too early. Fix: last. 5. A salty plate. Cause: dark soy, light soy, oyster. Fix: light soy by taste.

Variations

Spicier: Chili with the garlic. More green: Scallion greens at the end. My dried-tofu and pork stir is the same plate with xiang-gan blocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is yuba? Fu zhu – dried tofu-skin sticks, soaked first. Why render the belly? The fat carries the soy. Why so fast? Yuba only needs to warm and take the sauce – the recipe’s speed. How long does it take? About 20 minutes plus the soak. Is it spicy? Not by default – my silken tofu potage is the calm soup, and cold yuba salad the cool side.

How to Serve

Serve with a full bowl of rice – with dried-tofu and pork stir, yuba and shiitake braise, and home-style tofu for a pork-and-bean table, or with red braised tofu and golden pan-fried tofu for contrast.

Storage & Reheat

Refrigerate 2 days; reheat quickly. Never leave out more than 2 hours.

Allergen Notice

This recipe contains pork, soy (yuba, soy sauce), and shellfish (oyster sauce). It is free of gluten (verify the sauces), dairy, egg, nuts, and fish.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

About the Author & Recipe Development

I am Jason Guo, a Chinese chef who has cooked professionally for more than five years – including time as a head chef – and now runs my own small restaurant in China, where tofu appears on the menu almost every day. This xiachufang cook’s yuba and pork stir is the fast plate of my busy nights, and the recipe’s prepare-enough-rice warning is exactly the kind of claim I respect. I tested it as written. I have not tested the chili version, so that is your experiment, not my claim.

Authoritative References

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for safe storage of cooked dishes.