Aside from BBQ, Tex/Mex, and a good steak, this is my favorite dish. "Spicy Deep Fried Pork", from Henry Chung's "Hunan Cookbook", with a few minor upgrades.
1 pound pork tenderloin sliced up into pieces about 1/8" x 3/4" x 1.5" Like half your pinkie, split in two.
1 cup bell pepper, cut in 1" squares or thereabouts
1 cup small green onions, cut to 1.5" in length
2 cups peanut oil
1 Tablespoon fermented black beans. (Pretty exotic things-will likely be found only in Oriental groceries and may be called salted black beans on the package. They are kinda soft and taste terrible by themselves, but they make this dish.)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon (plus some lagniappe) white wine-- we use an Idaho Riesling which is not too dry.
2 Tablespoons soy sauce. I have never been able to get used to any other than La Choy, so use what you like; I know it is extremely pedestrian.
Some toasted sesame oil.
Boiled white rice
Cut up the meat and veggies as described. Mash together into a paste the beans, cayenne, sugar and ginger, then add to the wine and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Doubt this can be done without a wok.
Heat the wok over max flame until it smokes, then add a Tablespoon of the oil and wait 'til it smokes too. Toss in the bell pepper and scorch/stir fry it for a bit-30 seconds or so, until it starts to brown. Slide the peppers into a bowl and clean out the wok and the stirring ladle. Hot tap water and a paper towel to get out the overpowering taste of the bell pepper.
Get the wok smokin' hot again, then add the rest of the oil. Heat this until it smokes, then carefully add the pork. Cook it until all the pink is gone and it almost begins to brown. Pour off all but a tablespoon or two of the oil; we put it in an empty pint cream carton.
Get the wok hot again--a few seconds-- and add the green onions, bell peppers, and the seasoning mixture. Stir it all up for a minute or so, then serve it up onto some white rice; maybe sprinkle on some of the sesame oil.
I like this so much we tried it on a river trip once-with precooked pork. I forgot the ginger so I reduced a can of ginger ale to a syrup and used that. Not that great a substitute, but I still get compliments 7 years later.
1 pound pork tenderloin sliced up into pieces about 1/8" x 3/4" x 1.5" Like half your pinkie, split in two.
1 cup bell pepper, cut in 1" squares or thereabouts
1 cup small green onions, cut to 1.5" in length
2 cups peanut oil
1 Tablespoon fermented black beans. (Pretty exotic things-will likely be found only in Oriental groceries and may be called salted black beans on the package. They are kinda soft and taste terrible by themselves, but they make this dish.)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon (plus some lagniappe) white wine-- we use an Idaho Riesling which is not too dry.
2 Tablespoons soy sauce. I have never been able to get used to any other than La Choy, so use what you like; I know it is extremely pedestrian.
Some toasted sesame oil.
Boiled white rice
Cut up the meat and veggies as described. Mash together into a paste the beans, cayenne, sugar and ginger, then add to the wine and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Doubt this can be done without a wok.
Heat the wok over max flame until it smokes, then add a Tablespoon of the oil and wait 'til it smokes too. Toss in the bell pepper and scorch/stir fry it for a bit-30 seconds or so, until it starts to brown. Slide the peppers into a bowl and clean out the wok and the stirring ladle. Hot tap water and a paper towel to get out the overpowering taste of the bell pepper.
Get the wok smokin' hot again, then add the rest of the oil. Heat this until it smokes, then carefully add the pork. Cook it until all the pink is gone and it almost begins to brown. Pour off all but a tablespoon or two of the oil; we put it in an empty pint cream carton.
Get the wok hot again--a few seconds-- and add the green onions, bell peppers, and the seasoning mixture. Stir it all up for a minute or so, then serve it up onto some white rice; maybe sprinkle on some of the sesame oil.
I like this so much we tried it on a river trip once-with precooked pork. I forgot the ginger so I reduced a can of ginger ale to a syrup and used that. Not that great a substitute, but I still get compliments 7 years later.
