Stir fry is a quick and deceptively simple way to combine a little bit of meat with a whole bunch of veggies and have a tasty and relatively nutritious meal in about 30 minutes.
But here’s the catch: stir-fries also involve a whole lot of slicing and dicing, and if you don’t have a rice cooker, this can be one of the most difficult starches to cook properly. Take heart, though. Practice makes perfect, and people are generally impressed by your ability to make foreign dishes, even if they are not entirely authentic.
The genesis of this dish was economically motivated. I had some dried mushrooms, a carrot and a bell pepper in my fridge and pork was on sale. And, yes, I happen to have all this other stuff just sitting in my pantry. My dish turned out well, so now I’m recreating it for you.
The Meat and Marinade
1 lb. pork loin, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil or canola oil
Salt to taste
Vegetables
1/4 oz. dried shittake mushrooms
1 crown of broccoli
1 large bell pepper, sliced into 1/8-inch strips
2 tbsp. onion, sliced thin (about a finger’s worth)
1 carrot, peeled and julienned (cut into very thin square sticks)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
2 tbsp. mirin
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. corn starch
The first thing to do is get about one cup of water boiling to reconstitute the mushrooms. When it boils, pour it over the mushrooms, set it aside and start a pot of water for your rice.
Now, cut up your meat if you didn’t buy it pre-cubed (which you shouldn’t, by the way; it’s a waste of money, and it spoils faster). Throw it in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients, set it aside, wash your cutting board and hands THOROUGHLY. It’s now time to move on to the veggies.
Broccoli is tricky because the florets cook much faster than the stems. What I do is cut the florets off the stem in bite sized pieces, and then slice the stem into 1/8-inch strips (about 1/8 by 1/2 by 2 inches, for all the perfectionists out there).
The carrot is tough too, because it really does have to be ridiculously thin, almost shredded. Start by cutting it in half crosswise (two short pieces). Then cut off and dispose of the round parts. Now, slice the “squared off” part the long way as thin as you can. Afterwards, stack the slices on top of one another and slice them the other way. Voila, julienne!
By the time you finish with the pepper, onion and garlic, the mushrooms should be re-hydrated, and the water should be transformed into a rich, fragrant mushroom broth. Take the mushrooms out of the broth and cut them into quarter-inch strips. If the broth is cool, mix it with the cornstarch. If not, mix the cornstarch with a little water and then with the broth.
The trick to rice is getting the right ratio of water to rice. Ideally, all of the water will be absorbed just when the rice is perfectly cooked. Easier said than done.
If you have a rice cooker, all you have to do is measure with your finger: fill it with rice up to the first knuckle, water up to the next, then “set it and forget it.”
If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can fill a saucepan halfway with water. When it boils (like whitewater rapids), I add rice to fill the pan up to three-quarters of the way. Wait for it to come back up to boil for a solid 60 seconds, reduce the heat so the water comes down to a slow boil (pinky-sized bubbles) and cover it. After 10 minutes, start checking to see if it’s done. If the rice on the top is still crunchy, it’s not ready.
Okay, the rice is working. Time to stir-fry. Get that sautee pan nice and hot, add some oil, and when it starts to smoke, add the mushrooms and sauté for 60 seconds.
Add the pork and leave it for a good two minutes until it gets nice and brown. Afterwards, stir the whole thing and flip any pieces of pork that haven’t been turned over already. Wait two more minutes and transfer everything to a plate. Set it aside.
Put the pan back on the flame and add a little more oil. When it smokes again, add the vegetables, garlic and chili flakes. Let everything sit for about 60 seconds and following, stir it every 30 seconds until the carrots and broccoli start to soften. Add the mirin and soy, stirring until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Next, add the mushroom broth/cornstarch mixture and let it come to a boil. Finally, put the pork and mushrooms back in and stir it together until the liquid boils again.
By now, your rice should be just about ready. Grab a plate and dig in.
Like many of my recipes, this one provides a framework. Once you learn the ratios and techniques, you can pretty much do whatever you want.
Add snowpeas, bean sprouts, baby corn or sugar snap peas and take out any of the vegetables you don’t like. If you can’t master rice (or want a backup plan) rice noodles are easy, just soak them in warm water and they’re done. You could also use Chinese wheat noodles for a lo mein-type dish. If you can’t find dried mushrooms, you can use beef or chicken broth instead of the mushroom liquid.
As I’ve said before, the ingredients matter much less than the technique. After a while you’ll start to improvise, and what’s for dinner will become less of a chore and more an exercise in creativity and critical thinking. Until then, keep reading, keep practicing and keep eating.
Bon Appetit.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
