Ground Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Szechuan Sauce

Oct 31, 2011
Pamela Steed Hill

Ground Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Szechuan Sauce - PS Hill

Spicy-sweet Szechuan sauce adds a flavorful depth to ground pork and vegetables in this easy, palate-pleasing stir-fry.

Not all Szechuan cuisine is fiery hot, but traditional Szechuan sauce does pack a lot of heat. Typical ingredients include chiles, garlic, ginger, onion, rice vinegar or dry sherry, sugar, and a tomato base.

This recipe makes about a half-cup of sauce—just enough to provide great flavor and spice to the pork and vegetables without making the dish soupy or overly hot.

Ground Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Szechuan Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Szechuan Sauce

2 tbsp peanut oil
5-6 hot red and green chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato puree (or 2 tbsp tomato paste dissolved in 2 tsp water)

For the Pork and Vegetables

2/3 lb ground pork
1 tsp finely chopped peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp peanut oil, divided
1/4 lb snow peas, strings removed, sliced in half lengthwise
1/4 lb green beans, strings removed, broken in half
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup small broccoli florets
3 scallions, white and green parts chopped separately
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For the Szechuan Sauce

Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil. Add the chiles, ginger, garlic, and onion and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add the vinegar, sugar, and tomato puree and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.
Pour the sauce into a heat-proof bowl and set aside. Do not wipe out the wok.

For the Pork and Vegetables

Combine the pork, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes.
Re-heat the wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the seasoned pork and stir-fry 5 minutes, until the pork is just cooked through. Remove to a bowl.
Add the other 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok and add the snow peas, green beans, carrots, broccoli, and white parts of the scallions. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry 5 minutes.
Return the pork to the wok along with any accumulated juices and stir well to combine. Add the Szechuan sauce and stir-fry 1 minute.
Divide the pork and vegetables among 4 shallow bowls and sprinkle with the green parts of the scallions. Serve with a side of steamed white rice, if desired.

Also try Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Tangy Orange Sauce and Chicken Stir-Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce.