Walter Kei of Hong Kong taught me this simple peppery Shanghainese-style stir-fry. Many traditional cooks prefer the “head and tail” of the bean sprout to be removed. This is very labor-intensive, but in Hong Kong, produce vendors sell trimmed sprouts, called “silver sprouts,” for a slightly higher price.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 8 ounces lean pork butt
- 2 teaspoons grated garlic
- 4 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons golden olive oil
- 1 pound mung bean sprouts
Instructions
- Slice the pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then stack the slices and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks. Put the matchsticks in a shallow bowl and add the garlic, 2 teaspoons of the rice wine, the cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Stir to combine.
- Heat 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the olive oil and add the pork, spread it around it in the wok. Cook undisturbed 20 seconds, letting the pork begin to brown. Then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry the pork until it is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add the bean sprouts, then remaining 2 teaspoons rice wine, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until the pork and bean sprouts are just cooked through.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 220 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 35 mg |
| Sodium | 433 mg |
Reviews
I used black pork belly and soybean sprouts instead, since that’s what I had, still tasted fantastic. I first tasted this dish in a restaurant and have tried countless times to recreate the taste to no avail, but this recipe gets it right. Might try adding white parts of green onion next time, would probably add even more zip.
Yummy! I used 4 six ounce pork cutlets. I wondered if 8 ounces is what others used more meat?
Very easy and quick to cook. Tastes good too.
I’ve never stir-fried anything before and I was amazed at how easy it was. The ingredients were easy to find and the instructions were easy to follow. I used chicken instead of the pork called for and I can’t believe how good it tasted. I am so pleased to add such a great dish to my family’s diet.