Pork and vegetable stir-fry
It's worth taking the time to poach and marinate the pork for this delicious stir-fry. Once that's done it's ready in minutes.
Ingredients
For the pork belly
- 150g/5½oz pork belly
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 cloves
- ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp corn flour
- 1 tbsp oil
For the stir-fry
- 80g/3oz French beans, trimmed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly chopped
- ½ spring onion, roughly chopped
- ½ onion, finely sliced
- 50g/1¾oz sweet red peppers, thinly sliced
- 50g/1¾oz Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced, to serve
For the stir-fry sauce
- 1 tsp chilli oil
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce
- 100ml/3½fl oz fresh chicken stock
Method
To make the pork belly, put the meat into a saucepan with the star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, fennel seeds and cloves with 500ml–1litre/18fl oz–1¾ pints boiling water. Simmer on a low-medium heat for 45 minutes. Drain through a sieve and place in a cold bowl. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 hour.
Slice the pork into 2–3mm thick slices and place in a small mixing bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and corn flour and massage into the pork using your hands.
Heat the oil in a wok placed over a high heat. When the oil is smoking, add the pork and sear well on both sides for 1 minute. Remove the pork and set aside, leaving the pork juices in the wok.
To make the stir-fry, blanch the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Refresh in cold water and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the hot wok and add the garlic, spring onion and onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until the onions are lightly browned. Add the red peppers, Chinese leaf and beans at 30 second intervals.
Mix together the stir-fry sauce ingredients.
Return the pork to the wok with the stir-fry sauce and boil for 30–60 seconds stirring well. Tip onto a large plate or between 4 bowls, garnish with spring onions and serve.
