TUESDAY
Pork Stir~Fry with Garlic & Oyster Sauce | Brown Rice | Steamed Broccoli
Nigel Slater and I had dinner last night…
Well, to be precise, he had dinner somewhere {quite possibly at his home in London} and I had dinner here at home in Belvedere, California…details, details. It really is a shame, because I know we would have plenty to discuss over a shared meal…our mutual passion for gardening, simple, good food, his new book, Eat {not yet available in the US but I snagged a copy from Amazon.com.UK} and how well he thought my salad {adapted from his recipe} turned out the other night. Well, despite us living on different continents and, of course the fact that we are complete strangers, he did manage to send me a kind note regarding the salad…
Somewhat solicited by me but {don’t burst my little bubble here}, when you grab your phone from the nightstand first thing in the morning to check emails and the words “Nigel Slater” appear in your in~box…well, for me, that’s a pretty awesome way to start the day! A kind gesture from Mr. Slater {or one of his associates} will result in my continued loyal following of his cookbooks and recipes {the power of social media in action} beginning with this pork stir~fry.
Actually, this stir-fry was enjoyed by us, last night, prior to the arrival of Mr. Slater’s note this morning, so when I tell you that it is easy, incredibly tasty and destined to become one of your favorite weeknight meals, know that it is my own opinion, not yet swayed by Mr. Slater’s charm.
Lean pork tenderloin cooks up quickly and, when accompanied by a few hot red chile peppers, shallots, garlic & mushrooms, becomes a flavorful stir~fry coated in a sauce made with rich, full~bodied sherry {substituted for Shaoxing wine} and oyster sauce. After a little bit of slicing & dicing…
You are minutes away from a delicious stir~fry…
Served with some brown rice {start the rice after all of the chopping has been done and before you begin cooking the stir~fry and it will all come together at relatively the same time or, at least, pretty close} and steamed broccoli…a great, homemade, better~than~takeout dinner.
- 6 tablespoons, flavorless oil {I used grape seed oil}
- 1 1/2~2 pounds pork tenderloin, cubed
- 5 large garlic cloves, peeled + minced
- 3 shallots, peeled + diced
- 6 small hot red chiles {I used Fresno chiles}, 3 seeded + diced, 3 left whole
- 10~12 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed + thickly sliced
- 6 tablespoons {heaping} Asian oyster sauce
- 6 tablespoons rich, full~bodied sherry {use Shaoxing wine if you have it hanging around in your pantry}
- Heat a wok or large cast~iron skillet. Add 4 tablespoons of the oil. When it starts to smoke, add half of the cubed pork tenderloin and fry it up until it begins to color, removing the meat as it turns golden at the edges. Repeat with the second batch of meat.
- Pour the remaining oil into the wok/skillet and let it start to smoke, then add the chopped garlic, shallots, chiles...stirring as they cook. Fry them for a minute or two until they start to become tender and the color of the chiles becomes bright.
- Add the mushrooms. Continue stir~frying until they are soft and lightly browned, then return the meat {and any accumulated juices} to the pan. Once the meat is thoroughly hot, stir in the oyster sauce and the sherry/wine and bring to a boil. Let the sauce reduce for a few minutes and then serve.
Epic dining experience! Fantastic blend of spices. Instant classic.
I am lucky to be Mr. Dinner Concierge!
OK…quite possibly, the best comment ever on a blog! XOXOXO