Family Recipe 30 - Pork Tenderloin Soup

Ingredients: Pork tenderloin (pig's hind leg shank), dried shiitake mushrooms, shredded bamboo shoots, eggs, garlic, white pepper powder, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, black vinegar, tapioca starch Instructions: 1. Slice the pork tenderloin into strips, marinate with white pepper powder, rice wine, and soy sauce (the longer it marinates, the richer the flavor). Wash and soak the dried shiitake mushrooms. 2. Shred the soaked shiitake mushrooms, mince the garlic coarsely, and blanch the shredded bamboo shoots to remove bitterness. 3. In a separate deep pot, bring the broth to a boil, then reduce to low heat. In a separate pan, sauté the minced garlic over low heat until golden brown and crispy, then add it along with the mushroom soaking water to the broth and simmer. 4. Turn to medium heat, use the residual oil in the pan to sauté the shiitake mushrooms until fragrant, then add the shredded bamboo shoots and stir-fry together. Pour into the broth pot, removing the crispy garlic bits before pouring. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer. 5. Add tapioca starch to the meat strips in small amounts multiple times until a thick, sticky paste forms on the surface of the meat. Let it sit for a few minutes. 6. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, then add the meat strips and turn off the heat. Use chopsticks to separate the meat strips, allowing the residual heat to cook them. 7. Season the broth with sugar, salt, and soy sauce, then thicken it with starch slurry. 8. After thickening, stir in the beaten eggs, add the cooked meat strips, and just before serving, add black vinegar and a little sesame oil. If you're worried about the meat not being cooked through, you can continue to simmer it in the soup after adding it. You can also substitute fish for the pork.