Increase the oil temperature to 400°F. While waiting for the oil to heat, bring the rice vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, reserved pineapple juice, and water to boil in a small saucepan. Turn the heat down to low and keep the sauce warm.
When the oil is ready, add the pork cubes. Deep-fry a second time until they turn brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. When oil is hot, add the carrots. Stir-fry for a minute and add the red and green peppers.
Bring the sauce back up to a boil. Add the cornstarch-and-water mixture, stirring vigorously to thicken. Add the pineapple.
Push the vegetables up to the sides of the wok and add the sauce in the middle. Add the pork back into the wok. Mix through and serve hot.
Twice Cooked Pork
½ pound boneless pork
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 slices ginger, chopped
3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
1 teaspoon hot bean paste
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Boil the pork in water for 20–25 minutes. Remove and cool. Cut into thin strips.
Blanch the peppers by plunging briefly into boiling water. Cut into thin slices.
Add 3 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and hot bean paste with garlic. Stir-fry briefly until the garlic and ginger are aromatic. Add the peppers and stir-fry. Mix in the dark soy sauce and sugar. Add the pork. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly and stir-fry for about 1 more minute. Serve hot.
Pork — Not the “Other White Meat”
Pork may be the “other white meat” in the West, but in China the words pork and meat are virtually synonymous. When it comes to beef, cows and oxen have traditionally been valued more as work animals than as the main source of protein at the dinner table. By contrast, economical pigs are cheaper to feed, requiring less grazing space. While beef is now widely enjoyed in northern China, it is still not uncommon for southern Chinese families to rely primarily on pork as their main source of meat.
Serves 2–4
Pork is cooked twice in this simple but popular Szechwan dish. Serve on a bed of steamed rice or noodles.
Serves 4
For best results, make the Plum Sauce (page 19) ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to blend. Serve with steamed rice.
Pork in Plum Sauce
1 pound boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 carrots
2 slices ginger
½ cup Plum Sauce (page 19)
3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Cut the pork into cubes. Add the soy sauce, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.
Peel the carrots and cut into slices about ½ inch thick. Blanch by plunging into boiling water and draining.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the pork. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
Add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, add the ginger slices and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the carrots and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the Plum Sauce and bring to a boil.
Add the pork. Stir in the green onions. Mix everything through and serve hot.
Eastern and Northern China
The cuisine of eastern China features red-cooked dishes — stews that have been slowly cooked in soy sauce and seasonings. And northern China is famous for noodle-based dishes and festive specialties such as Mu Shu Pork and Peking Duck with pancakes. The influence of the Mongol warriors can be seen in dishes such as Mongolian Beef.
Pork in Bean Sauce
1 pound pork tenderloin chops, boneless
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
¼ teaspoon chili paste
Cut the pork into thin strips. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the pork for 30 minutes.
Combine the black bean sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, salt, water, and sesame oil, and set aside.
Add oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the chili paste and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the pork. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through.
Push the pork up to the side of the wok and add the sauce in the middle. Bring to a boil. Mix the sauce with the pork. Cover and simmer for a few minutes until the pork is cooked through.
Szechwan and Cantonese Cooking
Fiery Szechwan cuisine is famous for its “mouthburners” — dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu made with hot chilies and Toasted Szechwan Peppercorns. Reputed to represent the best of Chinese cooking, Cantonese cuisine features fresh ingredients that are subtly seasoned and not overcooked. Cantonese cooks pride themselves on allowing the natural flavors of the ingredients to come through in dishes such as Sweet-and-Sour Pork and Lobster Cantonese.
Serves 4
Serve with Glazed Carrots (page 234) for a nutritious meal with an interesting combination of flavors.
Serves 2–4
Softened dried mushrooms absorb the hoisin sauce and other seasonings in this simplified version of a traditional Beijing dish.
Restaurant-Style Mu Shu Pork
½ pound boneless pork chops
3 green onions, divided
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2½ teaspoons sugar, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 dried mushrooms
½ cup reserved mushroom liquid
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
3–5 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
1 slice ginger
1 cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed
1 cup canned water chestnuts, rinsed
Trim any fat from the pork and cut into thin strips. Add 1 chopped green onion, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the pork for 30 minutes.
Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften. Reserve the soaking liquid. Give the mushrooms a gentle squeeze to remove any excess water and thinly slice. Cut the remaining 2 green onions into 1-inch pieces.
Combine the reserved mushroom liquid, dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil, and set aside.
Lightly beat the eggs and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, turn down the heat and add the eggs. Scramble quickly and remove from the wok. Wipe the wok clean if necessary.
Add 2 more tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the pork strips and stir-fry until they turn white and are nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and set aside. Add more oil if needed. Add the ginger and green onion and stir-fry briefly. Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the pork and the scrambled egg. Mix everything through and serve hot.
Traditional Mu Shu Pork
½ pound boneless pork chops
3 green onions, divided
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 dr
ied mushrooms
15 dried lily buds
4 tablespoons wood fungus
10 fresh water chestnuts
½ cup reserved mushroom liquid
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
3–5 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
1 slice ginger
½ cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed
Mandarin Pancakes (page 268)
½ cup hoisin sauce
Trim any fat from the pork and cut into thin strips. Add 1 chopped green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the pork for 30 minutes.
Soak the dried mushrooms, dried lily buds, and wood fungus in hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften. Reserve the mushroom soaking liquid. Give the mushrooms a gentle squeeze to remove any excess water and thinly slice. Cut the remaining 2 green onions into 1-inch pieces. Peel the fresh water chestnuts and cut in half.
Combine the reserved mushroom liquid, dark soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil and set aside.
Lightly beat the eggs and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, scramble the eggs. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Add 2 more tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the pork strips and stir-fry until they turn white and are nearly cooked through. Add the ginger and green onions and stir-fry briefly. Add the mushrooms, lily buds, wood fungus, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the pork and the scrambled egg. Mix everything through.
To serve, brush a pancake with the hoisin sauce, add a generous helping of Mu Shu Pork, and roll up the pancake.
Serves 4
For an authentic touch, use Green Onion Brushes (page 73) to brush the hoisin sauce onto the Mandarin Pancakes.
Serves 4
Vegetables take center stage in this dish; the meat is there only to add a bit of flavor.
Pork Chop Suey
½ pound pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon sugar
4–6 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
6 fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 stalks bok choy including leaves, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained
Cut the pork into thin slices. Marinate the pork with the rice wine, soy sauce, and baking soda for 30 minutes.
Combine the oyster sauce, chicken broth, and sugar. Set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the pork. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok.
Add 1–2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the celery and the bok choy stalks, then the bamboo shoots, stir-frying each for about 1 minute in the middle of the wok before adding the next vegetable. (If the wok is too crowded, stir-fry each vegetable separately.) Add more oil as necessary, pushing the vegetables up to the side of the wok until the oil is heated. Add the bok choy leaves and the green onion.
Add the sauce to the middle of the wok and bring to a boil. Add the pork. Mix everything through and serve hot.
Spicy Hoisin Pork
¾ pound pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 bunch spinach
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
¼ teaspoon chili paste
Cut the pork into thin slices. Marinate in the soy sauce and baking soda for 30 minutes.
Blanch the spinach briefly in boiling water and drain thoroughly.
Combine the hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, and water. Set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the pork and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, add the chili paste and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the spinach. Stir-fry for a minute, adding sugar or soy sauce to season if desired. Add the sauce in the middle of the wok and bring to a boil. Add the pork. Turn down the heat, mix everything through, and serve hot.
How to Season a Carbon Steel Wok
It's important to properly season a wok before using it for the first time. First, wash the wok in soapy water. Dry thoroughly, then lightly coat the inside surface with vegetable oil, using a paper towel and tilting the wok to ensure even coverage. Heat the wok on low-medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove to a cool burner and wipe off the inside with a paper towel. Repeat this process several times. The wok is ready to use when the paper towel doesn't pick up any black residue.
Serves 4
For a less spicy dish, substitute ¼ teaspoon chili sauce with garlic for the chili paste.
Serves 4–6
Although China's Yunnan hams are famous throughout Europe, they are hard to find in the West. Smithfield hams are a good substitute.
Ham with Asian Pear
1½ pounds ham, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 green onion
2 tablespoons oil for frying
2 Asian pears, sliced
Marinate the ham for 30 minutes in the sesame oil and cornstarch.
Combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and honey. Set aside. Cut the green onion into 1-inch slices on the diagonal.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the sliced ham and brown briefly. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Prepare the wok for steaming. Place the sliced ham on a heatproof dish on a bamboo steamer. Brush half of the sauce over. Cover and steam, adding more boiling water as necessary.
After 25 minutes, drain the ham juices, combine with the remaining half of the sauce, and bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Arrange the pear slices with the ham. Steam the ham for another 5 minutes, or until it is cooked. Pour the cooked sauce over the ham before serving. Garnish with the green onion.
Asian Pears
In ancient times, Chinese nobles dined on Asian pears poached in wine and honey. Today, thanks to their delicate sweetness, Asian pears are becoming a familiar sight in local supermarkets. Try them in stir-fries and salads.
Chinese Sausage and Cabbage Stir-fry
3 Chinese sausages
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
1 teaspoon minced shallot
6 large cabbage leaves, shredded
½ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 green onions, finely chopped on the diagonal
Cut the sausage on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces.
Add oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the shallot and stir-fry briefly. Add the sausages. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then push the sausages up to the side of the wok. Add the cabbage. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and rice wine in the middle of the wok and bring to a boil.
Simmer, covered, for 3–4 minutes, stir in the green onions, and serve hot.
How to Clean a Carbon Steel Wok
Never scrub the wok with an abrasive cleanser. Instead, remove stubborn food particles with a nonmetallic scrubber. Wash the wok in soapy water. To ensure it dries completely, leave for a few minutes on the stove with the heat turned low. Add a light coating of oil before storing in the cup
board. (You can skip this last step if the wok sees a lot of use.)
Serves 2–4
Shallot makes an interesting change from garlic and ginger in this simple recipe. Add 4 softened, dried mushrooms for a complete, one-dish meal.
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Chicken and Other Poultry
Basic Chicken Stir-fry
Moo Goo Gai Pan
Chicken Glazed in Bean Sauce
Baked Oyster Sauce Chicken
Soy Sauce Chicken
Curry Chicken Thighs
Hoisin Chicken
Lemony Chicken Stir-fry
Steamed Lemon Chicken
Basic Chicken Velvet
Deep-fried Chicken Velvet
Chicken with Red and Green Peppers
Bang Bang Chicken
Spicy Chicken with Cashews
General Tso's Chicken
Quick and Easy Orange Chicken
Kung Pao Stir-fry
Sweet-and-Sour Chicken
Sesame Hoisin Surprise
Garlic Chicken
Chicken with Walnuts
Chengdu Chicken
Mango Chicken
Quick and Easy Curry Chicken
Princess Chicken
Tea Smoked Chicken
Deep-fried Chicken
Deep-fried Breaded Chicken
Mu Shu Chicken
Sesame Chicken
Spicy Braised Chicken Wings
Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Wings
Oyster Sauce Chicken Wings
Stuffed Chicken Wings
THE EVERYTHING® CHINESE COOKBOOK Page 14