Spicy Pork with Peanuts
Submitted by oldtelman
Spicy Sichuan-style pork with peanuts, a fast wok stir-fry of cubed pork tossed in a fiery soy, rice wine, and chili sauce with toasted peanuts and dried chilies. Big heat, deep crunch, restaurant flavor at home.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
35 minREADY
45 minThis is a quick-fire Sichuan stir-fry where the sauce does all the talking. The pork itself goes in unseasoned, so a bold, glossy sauce is what carries the whole dish.
Start by toasting the peanuts in hot oil until golden, which deepens their flavor and keeps them crunchy through the stir-fry.
Dried chilies bloom in the same oil to perfume it with heat, followed by scallions and garlic cooked just until fragrant.
The sauce of dark soy, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes comes to a boil and gets thickened with cornstarch dissolved in broth until it’s glossy enough to cling to every cube.
Then the pork and peanuts go in for a fast 30-to-45-second toss, just long enough to cook the meat through and coat it. Spoon it over rice and dinner is on the table in minutes.
Chef Tips
- Toast the peanuts only to golden and pull them before they scorch; burnt peanuts turn the whole dish bitter.
- Cut the pork into small, even cubes so it cooks through in that brief 30-to-45-second toss.
- Have the sauce mixed and everything prepped before you heat the wok, since this dish moves fast.
Variations
- Swap the pork for chicken or firm tofu using the same sauce.
- Add diced bell pepper or celery, classic kung pao additions, for extra crunch.
- Adjust the heat with more or fewer dried chilies and red pepper flakes.
Ingredients
Directions
STIR-FRY THE PEANUTS over a high flame in 1 tablespoon of the oil until they develop a golden-brown color.
This brings out their flavor.
Take care not to let them burn.
Remove them and set them aside. Lower the flame to medium.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and flavor it with the peppers.
With the oil still at medium heat, add the scallions and garlic.
Stir-fry them for 10 to 20 seconds, until their aroma rises from the wok.
Add the sauce ingredients. When the sauce comes to a boil, add the cornstarch dissolved in broth.
The sauce must be thick enough to coat the pork pieces.
Since the pork is not seasoned, the sauce is the seasoning.
Add the pork pieces and the peanuts.
Quickly toss to coat them well.
Stir and toss the pork for 30-to-45 seconds, or until the pieces are cooked through.
Turn the pork out on a serving plate.
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