Pork with Celery Cabbage
If you can't find celery cabbage in the produce section at the local supermarket, look for Napa cabbage, the name by which it is commonly known in the West. If you like, you can thicken the sauce by stirring in 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 to 3
- ½ pound lean pork
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ pound (2 cups) celery cabbage
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
- ¼ teaspoon chile paste, or to taste
- 3½ tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, divided
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, divided
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
Cut the pork into thin strips, about 1½ to 2 inches long. Place the pork in a bowl and toss with the salt and cornstarch.
Shred the celery cabbage crosswise into thin strips. Combine the water, rice wine or sherry, hoisin sauce, and chile paste in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add half the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the pork. Let sit briefly, then stir-fry the pork, stirring and moving it around the pan until it is no longer pink and is nearly cooked through. Remove the pork and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the remainder of the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the cabbage. Stir-fry the cabbage until it is tender but still crisp (about 2 minutes). Sprinkle the cabbage with the sugar and ½ teaspoon salt if desired.
Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the pork back into the pan. Stir in the green onion. Stir-fry for another minute to heat everything through. Serve hot over cooked rice.
