Twice Cooked Pork (from Sunset Wok Cookbook) (David and Diane)

Ingredients
1 pound lean boneless pork in as few pieces as possible
1 Tbls dry sherry
1 thin quarter size slice of fresh ginger root – crushed with the side of a cleaver
3 green onions
1 tsp. hot chili sauce (Cajun style), or 1 small dried hot red chile, crumbled
4 tsp. Hoisin sauce – Asian food section
1 Tbs Soy sauce
1 small red bell pepper,
1 small green bell pepper
Small bunch thin asparagus (in season)
3 Tbs oil
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp. minced ginger

Directions
1. Place pork, sherry and ginger slice in a 2-quart pan. Add enough water to just cover the meat. Cut one of the green onions into about 4 pieces and add to pan. Bring to simmer, cover, and simmer until meat is tender when pierced (about 45 minutes)
2. Start the rice cooking.
3. Cut up the peppers into 1” squares. Remove skin from garlic. Cut the other green onions into ¾ inch length. Okay to use most of the green part if it’s not tough.
4. In a bowl combine the chili sauce, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce.
5. Remove the pork from pan and slice it across grain into 1-inch slices.
6. Put a wok over high heat, add oil when hot. After oil is heated, add bell peppers and asparagus (if in season) and stir fry until cooked to your satisfaction. Add a few drops of water if wok appears dry. Sprinkle with salt once when done, and remove from the wok.
7. Add a bit more oil to the wok and let it heat. Swirl around. Add garlic, and minced ginger, then quickly add the cooked pork and stir-fry for about 1 minute until pork has been browned slightly. Add bean sauce mixture to the wok and toss until pork is coated with sauce. Add in cooked bell peppers and remaining green onions. Stir from 30 seconds to a minute and serve immediately.

Implements
2-quart sauce pan
wok

Comments
The pork in this spicy Szechwan dish is actually cooked twice – first simmered, then quickly stir fried. You can do these tasks on separate days, but you don’t have to. The key is the mixture of sweet and hot sauces and proper stir frying technique. This is a great dish for frozen pork. Makes 3-4 servings. Serve with steamed rice.