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No, I didn't shave a Viking's beard. That's pork floss. What? Yes, pork floss. Known as rousong in Mandarin, it's exactly what it sounds like – dried sweetened roast pork pulled to separate the fibers and spun until it has the texture of crispy cotton candy. And it's awesome. It's got the same flavor profile as teriyaki beef jerky - a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, a lot salty and a lot meaty.
Pork floss buns - fluffy, sweetish rolls topped with pork floss and filled with mayonnaise cream - are a big thing in Singapore and Malaysia. Believe me, they're much nicer than they sound - the comforting flavors of meat and mayo, with an incredible blend of crunchy, soft and creamy textures. Chow Times has an article about the various uses of pork floss, from a topping for rice or congee to a grilled cheese sandwich filling. My personal favorite use is in a Vietnamese-style baguette sandwich, with pate (I substitute sliced turkey), lettuce, cilantro, vinaigrette and mayo.
You can find tubs or bags of pork floss at many Asian groceries. If you're really lucky, they'll have fish, chicken or shrimp floss as well.
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2-17-2009 @5:26PM Savor The Thyme said... That looks way to hairy for me to use in any way. I guess I am a pork floss snob.
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2-17-2009 @5:23PM mattatouille said... I actually just had some of this in a dish called fan tuan, which is a Taiwanese breakfast item that's this stuff and a bit of crueller stuffed into sticky rice. Nice timing (and congrats on Time's best blogs of 2009)
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2-17-2009 @5:30PM mongolian said... I love this stuff! It is definitely a must-have topping for rice porridge or congee, along with pickled vegetables, thousand-year eggs, and other goodies. Some friends of mine used to call it "meatstuff", and I never knew its official English name was "pork floss" until now.
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2-17-2009 @6:20PM Rt said... This sounds like a clever improvement on pork rinds - more meat, same flavor.
I love the idea but getting a sample may be difficult. I don't care as much for the Oriental seasonings but I bet it's very versatile.
The alternative meats are intriguing as well.
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2-17-2009 @6:49PM macguffin39 said... Talk about timely! A couple days ago I had the "Chinese Breakfast" while staying at the Wynn in Vegas. Included in the breakfast was congee and alongside was this strange "pork floss."
When it arrived I had no idea what it was or what to do with it. After dumping it into the congee its purpose became clear. It made all the world of tasty difference to that bland bowl of congee.
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2-17-2009 @7:07PM Berkana said... Looks more like a segment of well worn carpet.
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2-17-2009 @7:53PM thatkidthere said... This is ostensibly the same as the chewing-tobacco-like beef jerky (excepting that it's pork) available at gas stations.
Buffalo Bill's
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2-17-2009 @8:15PM TaMara said... http://whats4dinnersolutions.wordpress.com/
Sounds intriguing and next time I’m at the Asian market in my area, I might try it
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2-17-2009 @8:55PM Fash said... The thought of a mayo cream filling makes me gag.
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2-18-2009 @8:07AM Bruce Dearborn Walker said... In Mexico they do pretty much the same thing with beef and call it machaca. Usually served with eggs on tortillas, but I have had excellent but very thin burritos made with it.
They pound what is essentially beef jerky (ceccino) with a hammer or similar implement. Labor intensive. I just dump a few chips of ceccino in a blender and crank it up; works about as well.
Extremely flavorful.
I have also had ceccino deep fried in lard. Astonishing. Like a beef potato chip.
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2-18-2009 @12:36AM Aran said... When I was a kid, this uncle that my mom sub-let a room to would offer to buy us (my mom, sis and myself) dinner. Very often I'd get a dried pork meat in a bun with chicken floss and ketchup. To be honest it's still a yummy treat. :D
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2-18-2009 @7:28AM savuryandsweet said... don't be fooled by its looks, it's exactly as emily says "crispy cotton candy" pork. i eat this stuff straight out of the tub, first timers should try a pinch of it or it's just as good with rice. (good tidbit to know: it's aka pork fu to the chinese or ruoc to the vietnamese)
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