Stir-Fried Pork and Pineapple

Name: Stir-Fried Pork and Pineapple
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 8 ounces boneless pork shoulder or loin, trimmed of fat; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 8 pieces dried black fungus, like cloud ears, each about 1 inch wide (see note); 3 scallions, including green tops; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons thinly slivered fresh ginger; 8 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (about 1 cup); 5 to 8 thin rings fresh chile (preferably red)

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: About 30 minutes
Rating: 4(668)
Comments: Read comments

This recipe, an adaptation from “The Hakka Cookbook” by Linda Lau Anusasananan, came to The Times by way of Mark Bittman in 2013. The Hakka people are sometimes thought of as the Jews of China, because they’re dispersed all over the place. But the Hakkas cannot even point to an original homeland: you can find them everywhere. “Some people call us dandelions, because we thrive in poor soil,” says Ms. Anusasananan, who was born in California. Hakka dishes like this one, chow mein and pretty much anything in bean sauce, have defined Chinese-restaurant cooking for nearly everyone. This lively stir-fry comes together in about a half-hour and is easily doubled or tripled for a crowd. To make it more family- and weeknight-friendly, substitute sliced bell peppers for the fungus and canned pineapple for the fresh, and leave out (or greatly reduce) the chile peppers.

Featured in: The Nomad's Kitchen

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

For the Pork

8ounces boneless pork shoulder or loin, trimmed of fat
2teaspoons soy sauce
1teaspoon vegetable oil
1teaspoon cornstarch

For the Sauce

2tablespoons rice vinegar
1tablespoon sugar
1tablespoon soy sauce
½teaspoon salt

For the Stir-fry

8pieces dried black fungus, like cloud ears, each about 1 inch wide (see note)
3scallions, including green tops
2tablespoons vegetable oil
2tablespoons thinly slivered fresh ginger
8ounces fresh pineapple, cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
5 to 8thin rings fresh chile (preferably red)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

For the Pork
1. Step 1
  For the pork: Cut the pork into slices ⅛ inch thick, 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, oil and cornstarch, and mix with the pork.
2. Step 2
  For the sauce: In a small bowl mix the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and salt.
For the Stir-fry
1. Step 3
  Rinse the fungus. In a medium bowl, soak the fungus in hot water until soft and pliable, 5 to 15 minutes, and then drain. Pinch out and discard any hard, knobby centers. Cut the fungus into 1-inch pieces. Trim the ends off the scallions, and then chop them, including green tops, into 2-inch lengths.
2. Step 4
  Set a wok or a large frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, after about 1 minute, add the oil and rotate the pan to spread. Add the ginger and pork; stir-fry until the meat is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the pineapple, black fungus, sauce mixture, scallions and chile. Stir-fry until pineapple is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

Tip

Dried black fungus is available at most Asian grocery stores.

Ratings

4 out of 5

668 user ratings

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Comments

Ellen7 years ago

I made this with dried shitakes instead of wood ears and added baby bok choy, bell pepper and the whole bunch of scallions because I like lots of vegetables in Chinese food. Wary of the amount of sugar called for, I used seasoned rice vinegar instead and did not add sugar or salt, and it was perfect. I also changed the technique, cooking the pork tenderloin and ginger first, removing, then doing the vegs and returning the meat at the end. Very good.

John7 years ago

I made this 2 nights in a row (I had 1 lb pork). First night it turned out very watery. I think the author meant for some of the cornstarch used to coat the pork to dislodge and blend with the sauce enough to lend some viscosity---it did not. Tonight, I added a touch of cornstarch (maybe 1/2 teaspoon) to the sauce. Stir fried the pork & ginger, added the veggies, tossed briefly, and then stirred in the sauce until it glazed the contents of the wok. Much better done my way. 4 STARS.

Eileen7 years ago

Used red and green peppers instead of black fungus. Also used left-over cooked pork tenderloin. Absolutely delicious! Amazing flavor and very quick.

Pat B1 month ago

Instead of cloud ears, I used sugar snap peas.

Carol Friends4 months ago

I substituted a red pepper for the dried mushrooms and used a pork sirloin steak and canned pineapple. Oh my goodness, this recipe turned out to be so simple and easy to make, and yet soooo good.

Tariqata1 year ago

Made this with pork tenderloin, bell peppers and snap peas along with the pineapple. Skipped the chile for the spice-averse and served with sriracha on the side, but it would be great with a Fresno chile (or sambal oelek instead). Quick, healthy and really tasty - definitely a win. I saw a comment below suggesting tempeh as an alternative to the pork - that would also be delicious.

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