Rousong

Rousong (Chinese Pork Floss)

Rousong is a fluffy, savory-sweet dried pork floss beloved across China, eaten with congee, stuffed in buns, or sprinkled over rice. This home version braises a lean cut, then slowly teases it into fine, golden strands.

Prep

20 min

Cook

180 min

Total

200 min

Serves

Makes about 400 g (14 oz) floss

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1½ lb) pork loin (whole piece), lean with minimal fat and no silver skin; traditionally pork tenderloin or butt, trimmed
• •30 g (2 tbsp) ginger, smashed
• •3 g (3 pieces) scallions, white parts only, tied into a knot
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) Shaoxing wine
• •2 g (1 tsp) star anise, 2 small pods
• •1 g (1 piece) cassia bark (Chinese cinnamon), a 3 cm / 1¼ in piece
• •500 ml (2 cups) water, plus more as needed
• •60 ml (¼ cup) light soy sauce
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) dark soy sauce, for color; substitute more light soy if unavailable
• •70 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar, adjust to taste
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce, optional but traditional in southern styles
• •3 ml (½ tsp) five-spice powder
• •2 g (¼ tsp) white pepper
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) toasted sesame oil, added at the end

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the pork and place it in a heavy pot with the ginger, scallion knot, Shaoxing wine, star anise, cassia and 500 ml (2 cups) water. Add more water if needed to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then cover and simmer on low for 90 minutes, turning once, until the pork is fork-tender and the internal temperature reaches at least 75 °C (165 °F).
2. 2 Lift the pork out and let it cool until you can handle it. Reserve the braising liquid. Trim off any remaining fat or sinew, then place the meat in a sturdy bowl and use two forks (or pound in a mortar) to shred it into coarse strands.
3. 3 Transfer the shredded pork to a wok or wide non-stick pan. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, five-spice and white pepper along with 120 ml (½ cup) of the strained braising liquid. Stir to coat evenly.
4. 4 Cook over medium heat, stirring and pressing the meat against the pan, for 25–30 minutes. As the liquid reduces, the pork will darken and clump. Break up any clumps with the spatula and keep pressing and stirring so it dries evenly.
5. 5 When the mixture looks dry and starts to separate into fine strands, reduce the heat to low. From this point, rub the meat between your palms (or beat it with two wooden spoons) while it cooks, working in small batches, for another 20–30 minutes until the pork is completely dry, fluffy and pale golden. The floss is ready when a pinch feels bone-dry and not tacky.
6. 6 Off the heat, drizzle the toasted sesame oil over the floss and toss to distribute. Spread on a tray to cool fully, then fluff again before storing.
7. 7 Cool the floss completely, then seal in an airtight jar. It keeps 2 weeks at room temperature and up to 2 months in the fridge.