The clean, spicy heat of the hot peppers infuses the meat, creating a perfect harmony of flavors.
Have you ever tried braising the peppers and meat with a little water for a few minutes? The soft texture, combined with that same spicy and aromatic flavor, might just open up a whole new way of thinking for you.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
250 g (about 8 oz) hot green peppers
Pork 100 g (about 3.5 oz)
Do not use bell peppers, as they lack spiciness. For those who especially enjoy heat, choose small hot peppers instead.
Marinade
5 g (about 1 teaspoon) soy sauce
a small amount of cornstarch
Other Seasonings
10 g (about 2 teaspoons) Shaoxing wine
15 g (about 1 tablespoon) soy sauce
Salt 1 g
5 g (about 1 teaspoon) sugar
a few drops of vinegar
5 g each of scallion, ginger, and garlic
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Slice the pork into thin pieces and toss with the marinade until evenly coated (Image 2). Remove the stems from the chili peppers but keep the seeds, then slice them diagonally into rings (Image 3). Slice the scallion, and mince the ginger and garlic; set aside.
*The seeds of the hot green peppers are actually the most flavorful part—usually removed to reduce heat, but there's no need to do so for this dish.
Stir-fry the sliced meat and hot peppers together.
② Heat a wok with some oil until it reaches about 60-70% hot, then add the sliced meat along with scallion, ginger, and garlic, stir-frying until the meat separates. Splash in Shaoxing wine for fragrance (Image 4), then add the hot peppers and salt. Stir-fry over high heat for about 3 minutes until the peppers are slightly softened (Image 5).
*This step must be done over high heat to bring out the aroma.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking, then add oil and swirl to coat. Add the sliced pork and stir-fry until it changes color and is just cooked through. Remove the pork from the wok and set aside. In the same wok, add a little more oil if needed, then add the sliced hot green peppers and stir-fry for about 1-2 minutes until they begin to blister and soften slightly. Return the pork to the wok, add soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, and salt to taste, then stir-fry everything together over high heat for another 30 seconds until well combined and aromatic. Serve immediately.
Step 3: Add soy sauce and stir-fry until fragrant, then add a small amount of hot water, sugar, and a few drops of vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and braise for 5 minutes (Image 6). After 5 minutes, uncover and increase to high heat to reduce the sauce until it becomes glossy and shiny (Image 7).
*Be sure to braise the hot peppers until they are soft to bring out the true character of this dish; if they are stir-fried to a point where they are neither tender nor firm, it will compromise both the texture and flavor.
*A small amount of vinegar is added to enhance the aroma—do not use too much, as you should not be able to taste any sourness.
*This dish is also delicious when served cold.
