You won’t believe the intensity and the extra aroma you get from this homemade Chinese Five Spice. The secret is in the roasting of the whole spices before you grind them up and mix them together.
WATCH THIS RECIPE
Chinese Pork & Ginger Stir-fry
PREP TIME
15 minutes
COOK TIME
5 minutes
SERVES
4
Ingredients
500g (1 lb) pork fillet (tenderloin), sinew removed, thinly sliced
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine*
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp Homemade Chinese five spice (store-bought is fine also)
½ tsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 cm (1.6 inch) piece ginger, sliced into fine matchsticks
6 spring onions (scallions), sliced into batons (keep the paler thicker stem parts separate from the end green parts)
½ tbsp sesame oil
steamed rice to serve
Marinade:
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp ground pepper
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
½ tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
Steps
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Place the pork in a large bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and use your hands to mix thoroughly. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of your ingredients for the stir-fry.
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Make the stir-fry sauce by mixing together the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, Chinese five spice and sugar.
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Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and the bottom parts of the spring onion stems and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the pork and spread the pieces out in the pan. Turn the heat to high. Allow to cook for a few seconds then stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the stir-fry sauce and stir-fry for another 30 seconds or until the sauce thickens slightly and the pork is cooked through. Turn the heat off and toss through the green parts of the spring onion and the sesame oil.
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Serve with rice.
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Notes:
– Shaoxing is a Chinese wine made from fermented rice and is available in the Asian aisle of some supermarkets or from an Asian grocer.
What cut of pork is best for stir fry?
No one wants a tough and chewy stir fry, which is why choosing the right cut of meat for your stir fry is so important. For our pork and ginger stir fry, you want to make sure you’re using the right cut of pork so that your stir fry stays super tender throughout the cooking process.
The best cuts of pork to use when stir frying is pork fillet or pork tenderloin, as they are the cuts that will stay the most tender throughout the stir frying process.
How do you tenderise pork for stir fry?
Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.
What should I serve pork and ginger stir-fry with?
If you’re looking to make this pork and ginger stir-fry go even further, serving it alongside a bowl of steamed rice is the perfect way to make it a more hearty dinner. You could also serve it up with a side of Asian greens.
What are some other Chinese pork dishes?
Check out our other Chinese recipes featuring pork for some extra inspo. Some of our favourites include: Five-spice Sticky Pork Stir Fry or Chinese Pan Fried Pork Buns or even a Sticky Char Siu Pork Fried Rice Bowl.
Beautiful flavour, full bodied, excellent dish Marion
Excellent dish, quick to prepare so falavouism and only a couple of dishes….I did add a few extra ingredients
Amazing
Having cooked a lot of stir fries I have to say this is probably my favourite. Making five spice from scratch is so easy and key to the recipe. Trying it with chicken thighs instead of pork tenderloin tonight 👍
Huge hit
This was delicious. My toddlers were fighting over the last pieces. I added green cabbage and chili oil.