Stir fry pork with bok choy and shiitake mushrooms

Pork tenderloin is one of the leanest meat of the pig. It is difficult to introduce flavor to this pork membrane because the meat is dense and the fat is minimal, not marbled. A little bit of coaching is needed to bring out that savory taste. With this dish, it is best to slice the pork when partly frozen. Cut the pork lengthwise then slice across the grain in thin strips . In a medium bowl, combine the hot pepper sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch and sugar to the pork Marinate for about 30 minutes for the pork to imbide the seasoning.

Use baby bok choy, the larger type is mostly stalks, although equally nutritious and high in fiber. The baby bok choy provides more leafy greens and juicy stalks. Bok choy is low in calories and provides zinc, phosphorous, copper, manganese, vit A ,C and K, plus of course fiber.

I prefer to use the wok as a cooking vessel in preparing this dish, but you can use a skillet or your preferred cooking vessel. The shiitake mushroom used in this recipe is fresh, not dried. Fresh shiitake provides that sweet juicy flavor that is ambrosial. If you cannot find fresh shiitake, you can substitute dried shiitake available in plastic packages and can be found in most major and Asian supermarket. Dried shiitake requires soaking in water to soften before it is cut in strips. Save some of the soaking water and use it to moisten your dish if too dry while stir frying.

Mushrooms contains ample amount of free glutamate which when combined with pork and other ingredients will result in a savory dish. Remember, stir frying means fast cooking. You need to be mindful and alert when performing this task as everything goes fast.

Ingredients

1 lb Pork tenderloin (sliced in strips. Add the next 4 ingredients and marinate the sliced pork with it.  Set aside

1 tbsp hot pepper sauce

1tsp sugar

2tbsp oyster sauce

2Tbsp cornstarch

¼ Cup Vegetable oil

1tsp sesame oil

3 cloves minced garlic (about 1 tbsp)

1/2 Cup shallots, diced

1/2 Cup H20 used to soak dried shiitake if using dried shiitaki

6 bunches of baby bok choy. Separate stems, wash. Cut the bottom core and discard. Cut leaves if too long in half.

2 pkgs fresh shiitake mushroom fresh or 12 pcs dried(soak in hot water. When softened

separate stems and cap and slice into strips)

1. Make sure your wok is clean and the inside surface is smooth to touch and all your ingredients are ready to go and easily within your reach.
2. Put wok in stove. If you have standard burner and have a round bottom wok, use a wok adapter so you can keep your wok steady while stir frying. Have a mitten in case you need to handle a hot surface. Avoid burning yourself.
3. Heat ¼ C vegetable oil plus 1 tsp sesame oil in wok at 350 deg. When hot, add 3 minced fresh garlic cloves and stir fry until fragrant. Do not burn.
4. When garlic is brownish, stir in the shallots. stir fry until shallots are limp and translucent.
5. Immediately add the marinated sliced pork and stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until cooked. Remove pork into a platter. Set aside.
6. Quicky add the shiitake in the wok and stir fry for 1 minutes. Remove shiitake from wok set aside.
7. Quickly Stir fry the bok choy for 1 minute.
8. Add the pork and shiitake to the bok choy in the wok and stir fry mixture for another 3 minutes until the flavors marries.

Serve hot with steamed rice

Serves 6