February recipe: Stir-fried sweet and sour pork

I’m usually getting to the end of the winter root vegetable crop by the end of February, and this goes well with the leeks that are usually about the only crop left in the garden. It makes a nice change from casseroles and suet puddings, especially when you want a meal that can be ready in minutes.

You can vary the vegetables more or less as you see fit, depending on taste and availability. I hadn’t been organised enough to grow a batch of bean sprouts when I made this, but bean sprouts go very well in this dish.




Stir-fried sweet and sour pork (serves 2)

8 oz (approx 220 g) boneless pork steak
1 piece root ginger, about 1” (approx 2 cm) cube
1 clove garlic
Half an onion, or 3-4 spring onions
Half a green sweet pepper
Half a red sweet pepper
6 oz (approx 150 g) leeks
2 oz (approx 50 g) mushrooms
1 Tablespoon (1 x 15 ml spoon) cooking oil

For the sweet and sour sauce:
1 dessertspoon (1 x 10 ml spoon) cornflour
1 dessertspoon (1 x 10 ml spoon) clear honey
1 dessertspoon (1 x 10 ml spoon) soy sauce
2 dessertspoons (2 x 10 ml spoons) wine or cider vinegar
1 dessertspoon (1 x 10 ml spoon) tomato puree
Approx 5 dessertspoons (approx 50 ml) water

Cut the pork into thin strips, about 1/8 inch (approx 3 mm) thick.
Peel the root ginger and shred into thin matchsticks.
Peel and chop the onion. If using spring onions, trim, cut into pieces about 3 inch (approx 6 cm) long and slice in half or quarters lengthwise.
Remove the seeds from the sweet peppers and cut into roughly 1 inch (approx 2 cm) squares or strips.
Wash and trim the leeks and cut into slices about 1/4 inch (approx 0.5 cm) thick.
Peel the mushrooms and quarter if small, or slice if large.

Put the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce into a cup and mix to a thin paste.

Heat the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan.
When hot, add the pork strips and fry on a high heat for 1-2 minutes.
Add the onion, ginger, peppers and leeks and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and crushed garlic, and fry another 1-2 minutes.
Pour the contents of the sauce cup into the pan, stirring all the time, and cook until thickened (about 30 seconds).

Serve immediately, with rice or noodles.