Sichaun Stir-Fry Pork

Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook in: 5 minutes (plus 20 minutes marinating)

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon chilli bean sauce (or to taste)
300g/11oz pork fillet, sliced widthways and then cut into lengthways strips
2 tablespoons potato flour or cornflour
3–4 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
½ tablespoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinkiang black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthways into thin strips (using a potato peeler)
steamed jasmine rice to serve

METHOD

• Put the chilli bean sauce into a bowl, add the pork and turn to coat, 
then cover the bowl and leave to marinate for 20 minutes, or overnight 
if possible, in the fridge

• Just before cooking, coat the meat in potato flour or cornflour.

• Heat a wok or pan over a high heat, then add the groundnut oil. When 
the oil starts to smoke, add the Sichuan peppercorns, stirring quickly 
to avoid burning them. After a few seconds, add the pork strips and stir 
together. As the pork starts to cook, add the rice wine or sherry and 
stir-fry for 1 minute.

• Season the pork with soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil. Add the 
cucumber slices and stir well. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.


(from 5-minute chinese cooking, ch5)