Two pork stir fries from one method: lemongrass pork, and sweet ginger and garlic pork. Use a lean, tender cut like pork sirloin tip, which wants a fast cook. There’s no deep frying, so both are much lighter than takeout.
Mechanic
Baking soda and cornstarch in the marinade tenderize and coat the pork, a shortcut to velveting. The pork stays tender and browns in a little oil instead of a deep fryer.
Lemongrass pork
- 500 g pork, silverskin removed, cubed
- 5–6 stalks lemongrass, washed, sliced very thin on the bias
- ½ head garlic, crushed and sliced
- 1 shallot, sliced fine
- 1 tbsp each soy sauce, mirin, and rice wine (or rice wine vinegar, or lime juice)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1–2 tbsp cornstarch
- salt and pepper, to taste
- neutral oil, for frying
- 1 cup green onion, sliced on the bias in largish chunks
- 3–4 cups vegetables (onion, celery, peppers), cut on the bias into largish bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper the pork, then marinate it in the liquids, garlic, shallot, and a small handful of the lemongrass. Toss with the baking soda and cornstarch. Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.
Heat some oil in a wide pan on medium-low. Add the remaining lemongrass and cook until it starts to brown. Add the pork and cook until it browns too. Add the vegetables and turn the heat up to medium. Flip regularly until the vegetables are browning and the pork is cooked through. Toss in the green onion just before serving.
Garlic/ginger pork
- 500 g pork, silverskin removed, julienned (5 × 5 mm, 3–4 cm long)
- ½ head garlic, crushed and sliced
- 1 shallot, sliced fine
- 1 knob ginger, sliced fine (or grated)
- 1 tbsp each soy sauce, mirin, and rice wine (or rice wine vinegar, or lime juice)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1–2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1–2 tsp white pepper (a classic with ginger and garlic)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- neutral oil, for frying
- 1 cup green onion, sliced on the bias in largish chunks
- 3–4 cups vegetables (onion, celery, peppers), cut on the bias into largish bite-size pieces
- water and rice wine vinegar, for deglazing
Marinate the pork in the garlic, shallot, ginger, sugar, white pepper, salt and pepper, and liquids. Toss with the baking soda and cornstarch. Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.
Heat some oil in a wide pan on medium. Fry the pork until the edges start to brown. Add the onion and celery and keep cooking. Add the remaining vegetables and flip regularly.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of water and rice wine vinegar. Cook until the liquid reduces to a glaze, adding more if it gets too thick. Toss in the green onion just before serving.
To serve
Over rice. Brown basmati cooked in chicken stock, with sunflower seeds and five-spice, is a good match.
Variations
Tofu. Press it dry, then treat it exactly like the pork.
Deeper lemongrass. Marinate the pork overnight in Lemongrass marinade instead of the quick marinade, then fry it the same way. More flavour, but it needs planning a day ahead.