Recipe: Szechuan Pork

Cookbook

Szechuan Pork

Prep time: 25 minutes/Cook time: 10 minutes

Szechuan Pork It's worth a trip to an Asian market to hunt up some Asian chili paste with garlic, the unique cooking sauce that gives this stir-fry real Szechuan flavor.

1-1/2 pounds boneless pork butt, well trimmed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 by 2-inch strips
2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons Asian chili paste with garlic

1. Thinly slice pork, then cut into 1/2 inch-wide strips. In medium bowl, stir together soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch. Add pork and toss to coat.

2. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. With slotted spoon, lift pork from marinade, reserving marinade. Add pork and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until cooked through. With slotted spoon, transfer to large plate.

3. Add peppers and celery to pan, reduce heat to medium, and stir-fry 3 minutes, or until peppers are crisp-tender. Add scallions and ginger and stir-fry 3 minutes, or until scallions are tender.

4. In small bowl, whisk together broth, chili paste, and reserved marinade. Pour into pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, return pork to pan, and cook 1 minute, or until sauce is lightly thickened and pork is heated through.

Makes 4 servings/350 cals, 19g fat per serving.

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Recipe Reprinted by permission.