The Everything Stir-Fry Cookbook Part 17

1. Cut the pork into thin strips, about 1 to 2 inches long. Place the pork in a bowl and toss with the salt and cornstarch.

2. Shred the celery cabbage crosswise into thin strips. Combine the water, rice wine or sherry, hoisin sauce, and chile paste in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add half the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the pork. Let sit briefly, then stir-fry the pork, stirring and moving it around the pan until it is no longer pink and is nearly cooked through. Remove the pork and drain in a colander or on paper towels.

4. Heat 1 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the remainder of the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the cabbage. Stir-fry the cabbage until it is tender but still crisp (about 2 minutes). Sprinkle the cabbage with the sugar and teaspoon salt if desired.

5. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the pork back into the pan. Stir in the green onion. Stir-fry for another minute to heat everything through. Serve hot over cooked rice.

Serves 2 to 3 pound lean pork teaspoon salt 1 teaspoons cornstarch pound (2 cups) celery cabbage 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 1 tablespoons hoisin sauce teaspoon chile paste, or to taste 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, divided 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, divided 1 teaspoon granulated sugar teaspoon salt, optional 1 green onion, finely chopped

Yields 18 to 20 egg rolls Oil for deep-frying 1 pound lean pork 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided 3 tablespoons water, divided 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided 1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided 1 teaspoon minced ginger, divided 2 cups prepackaged shredded cabbage and carrot mix teaspoon salt, or to taste teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste 1 cup mung bean sprouts 1 tablespoon water, optional 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 package egg roll wrappers Pork Egg Rolls A prepackaged vegetable mix takes the work out of shredding cabbage and carrots in this recipe. To speed up the process even further, feel free to use barbecued pork from the Asian market.

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1. Fill a deep-fat fryer, wok, or heavy deep-sided skillet with enough oil to cover the rolls and heat to 375F.

2. Julienne the pork. Place the pork in a bowl and add the dark soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Marinate the pork for 15 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons water with the oyster sauce. In a separate small bowl, combine the remainder of the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a paste.

4. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add half the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the pork. Stir-fry until the pork is no longer pink and is nearly cooked. Remove and drain in a colander or on paper towels.

5. Heat 1 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the remainder of the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the shredded cabbage mixture. Stir-fry, sprinkling with the salt and sugar, for 2 minutes. Stir in the mung bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly (30 seconds to 1 minute). Add 1 tablespoon water if the vegetables begin to dry out during stir-frying.

6. Add the oyster sauce mixture. Add the pork back into the pan. Stir in the green onions. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to blend all the ingredients together. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Allow the filling to cool.

7. To make the egg rolls, take an egg roll wrapper and lay it out in front of you. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Dip your finger in the cornstarch paste and trace the edges of the wrapper. Lift the bottom of the wrapper up and over the filling, fold the left and right sides over, and roll up the egg roll. Press down firmly on the edges to seal. To deep-fry the egg rolls, slide the rolls into the hot oil and deep-fry until they are golden brown and crispy (about 4 minutes). Remove the rolls with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Don't stack the rolls before or after cooking.

Korean Sesame Pork While it is most closely a.s.sociated with Chinese cuisine, sesame oil is also a popular ingredient in both Korean and Thai dishes.

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1. Cut the pork into thin strips about 1 inches long.

2. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pork. Stir-fry the pork until it is no longer pink, then add the chile paste and garlic. Stir-fry briefly, then push the pork to the sides of the pan.

3. Add the red bell peppers to the wok or skillet. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the sauce. Bring to a boil and continue stir-frying until the red bell peppers are tender but still crisp and the pork is cooked through. Remove from the pan and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 2 to 4 1 pound lean pork 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon Korean chile paste 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips 2 portions Korean-Inspired Sesame Sauce (page 26) 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Serves 2 to 4 pound lean pork 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 2 teaspoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 leeks, cut on the diagonal into -inch pieces teaspoon salt, optional Peking Sauce (page 22) Peking Pork Serve Peking Pork with Stir-Fried Bok Choy (page 264) and plenty of cooked rice for a complete meal.

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1. Cut the pork into thin strips about 1 inches long. Place the pork in a bowl and add the soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, and cornstarch. Marinate the pork for 15 minutes.

2. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the pork. Stir-fry the pork until it is no longer pink and is nearly cooked through.

3. Push the pork to the sides of the pan. Add the leeks and salt in the middle. Stir-fry the leeks for 1 minute, until they turn a darker green.

4. Add the Peking Sauce. Bring to a boil. Continue stir-frying for 1 to 2 more minutes, to blend the flavors and make sure the pork is cooked through. Serve hot.

Choosing Oil for Stir-Frying When stir-frying, it's important to choose an oil that won't break down at high temperatures. Chinese cooks traditionally use peanut oil, both because of its high smoke point and its nutty flavor. Canola oil and olive oil, which both contain a high degree of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, are also good choices. Another option is coconut oil, commonly used in Thai stir-fry dishes. When stir-frying, it's important to choose an oil that won't break down at high temperatures. Chinese cooks traditionally use peanut oil, both because of its high smoke point and its nutty flavor. Canola oil and olive oil, which both contain a high degree of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, are also good choices. Another option is coconut oil, commonly used in Thai stir-fry dishes.

Stir-Fry Cla.s.sics

Beef with Broccoli

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Sesame Chicken

Friday Night Kung Pao Chicken

Beef with Orange Peel

Sweet and Sour Pork

Beef Chop Suey

Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Shrimp Egg Foo Yung

Egg Foo Yung with Brown Sauce

Restaurant-Style Mu Shu Pork

General Tso's Chicken

Chicken Chop Suey

Beef with Dried Tangerine Peel

Pork Chow Mein

Grandmother Bean Curd (Mapo Doufu)

Mu Shu Tofu

Pad Thai

Spring Rolls

Beef Lettuce Wraps

Crisped Szechuan Beef

Black Bean Beef with Asparagus

Almond Gai Ding

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

Serves 2 to 4 1 pound flank steak 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 1 egg white teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided 2 thin slices ginger, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 small onion, peeled and cut into wedges 2 cups broccoli florets teaspoon granulated sugar 12 tablespoons water, if needed Oyster-Flavored Brown Sauce (page 21) Beef with Broccoli It's hard to go wrong with this popular restaurant dish. If you'd like to add extra color to the dish, add a carrot, cut on the diagonal into thin slices.

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1. Cut the steak across the grain into thin strips 1 to 2 inches long. Place the beef strips in a bowl and add the rice wine or sherry, egg white, salt, and cornstarch. Marinate the beef for 15 minutes.

2. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add 1 cup oil. When the oil is hot, carefully slide half the beef into the hot oil. Cook the beef until it is no longer pink (about 1 minute), using a spatula to separate the strips. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander or on paper towels. Repeat with the remainder of the beef. Clean out the pan.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the onion. Stir-fry the onion for about 2 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the broccoli and sprinkle the sugar over the mixture. Stir-fry the broccoli until it turns a darker green and is tender but still crisp (about 3 minutes). Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if the broccoli begins to dry out during stir-frying.

4. Push the vegetables to the sides of the wok or skillet. Stir the brown sauce and add it into the middle of the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring quickly to thicken. When the sauce has thickened, add the beef back into the pan. Stir-fry for 2 more minutes to mix everything together and make sure the beef is cooked. Serve hot over rice.

Moo Goo Gai Pan To enhance the savory flavor of this dish, replace half of the fresh mushrooms with Chinese dried mushrooms. Don't forget to soften the dried mushrooms in hot water before using.

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1. Cut the chicken breast into thin strips 2 to 3 inches long. Place the chicken strips in a bowl and add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black pepper, and 1 teaspoons cornstarch. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. Combine the oyster sauce and water or chicken broth in a bowl. Whisk in 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or skillet until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the onion. Stir-fry the onion for about 2 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, adding the rice wine or dry sherry. Add the celery, sprinkle the salt over, and stir-fry for another minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the chicken. Let brown for a minute, then stir-fry until the chicken strips are white and nearly cooked through.

5. Push the chicken to the sides of the wok or skillet. Add the sauce in the middle of the pan and bring to a boil, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the vegetables back into the pan. Stir-fry for another minute to mix all the ingredients together and make sure the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot.

Moo Goo Gai Pan The name The name Moo Goo Gai Pan Moo Goo Gai Pan means "sliced chicken with fresh mushrooms." There are no hard-and-fast rules about what vegetables should accompany the chicken and mushrooms; while this recipe calls for peas, celery, onion, or red bell pepper could all be used instead. means "sliced chicken with fresh mushrooms." There are no hard-and-fast rules about what vegetables should accompany the chicken and mushrooms; while this recipe calls for peas, celery, onion, or red bell pepper could all be used instead.

Serves 2 to 4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce Black pepper to taste 3 teaspoons cornstarch, divided 1 tablespoons oyster sauce [image]cup water or chicken broth 4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1 onion, chopped 1 cup fresh b.u.t.ton mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 2 ribs celery, cut thinly on the diagonal Salt, to taste 1 tablespoon minced garlic