Be prepared before starting a stir-fry
When cooking a stirfry, you must have everything prepared before you begin. The process of stir-frying goes quickly. Once your protein of choice starts to cook, there won’t be time to continue the preparation of slicing vegetables. You will need to slice the protein, combine the marinade ingredients, chop/ slice the vegetables and, finally, mix the finishing sauce all before you begin to cook.
Hoisin pork stir-fry over soba noodles or rice
• 1 pound boneless pork chops, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or top sirloin, trimmed of fat and sliced against the grain” thick
For the marinade:
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Whisk together hoisin sauce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add pork and toss to completely cover with the marinade. Let marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
For the stir fry:
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 small can of diced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 small can of bean sprouts, drained
For the sauce, whisk the following ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside:
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Soba noodles prepared according to package directions
Garnishes:
• Thinly sliced green onion
• Black or white sesame seeds
• Dried red pepper flakes
In a wok or large skillet, heat
the 2 tablespoons sesame oil over high heat and add pork along with the marinade. Cook, continually stirring until pork begins to brown, add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
Add mushrooms, onions and bell peppers. Continue to cook over high heat until vegetables begin to soften. Add water chestnuts and bean sprouts and cook for another minute.
Add sauce and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Let cook another minute. Remove from heat and serve over prepared noodles or rice. Garnish with any or all of the suggested garnishes.
Laura Tolbert, also known as Fleur de Lolly, has shared recipes, table decor ideas and advice on her blog, fleurdelolly.blogspot.com, for the last eight years. You can contact her at facebook.com/ fleurde.lolly.5, on Instagram and fleurdelolly@yahoo.com.