Spicy Pork with Peanuts

Locale: China

Source: Irene Kuo, The Key to Chinese Cooking [p. 339]

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless pork, loin or butt, diced

Marinade:

  • 1 tbs dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tbs oil
  • 4 c water
  • 2 tbs oil
  • 4 dried chili peppers (or to taste)
  • 3 quarter-sized slices ginger, minced

Sauce:

  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbs rice wine or sherry
  • 1.5 tbs dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp Chenkong or red-wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Steps

  1. Dice pork into 1/4-inch cubes. Mix marinade, add pork, marinatre 30 minutes or longer in refrigerator.

  2. Bring 4 cups water to a rolling boil. Stir marinade and slide pork into boiling water. Stir to separate pieces, return to boil, cook another minute. Drain in collander.

  3. Heat sautee pan. Add oil, dried chili peppers, and ginger, and toss a few seconds, until fragrant. Add meat, then sauce, and flip around until thickened and coating the pork. Add peanuts, and serve.

Notes

  1. I usually add a little oil to the water, as if I were velveting the pork. Probably just my misunderstanding, but doesn't hurt.

  2. This is similar to Pork in Hot Bean Sauce, which I slightly prefer for the sauce and extra vegetable crunch as long as I include the peanuts from here.

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