Szechuan Pork

This is a classic Chinese dish and a firm favourite at any take-away restaurant. 

This healthier version could be served with noodles or boiled rice and would make a great dish any day of the week.

Ingredients

450g pork tenderloin
1 bunch spring onions
1 red pepper
200g mangetout OR fine green beans
1 red chilli OR 1 x 5ml spoon chilli powder
Small (10g) bunch coriander
2cm piece fresh ginger OR 1 x 5ml spoon ginger paste
2 cloves garlic OR 2 x 5ml spoons garlic paste
1 lime (juice only)
1 x 5ml spoon black peppercorns OR Szechuan peppercorns (optional)
1 x 5ml spoon Chinese five spice
2 x 15ml spoons soy sauce (light)
1 x 15ml spoon honey
4 x 15ml spoons water
1 x 15ml spoon cornflour
1 x 15ml spoon sunflower oil
Black pepper (optional)

Equipment

2 x Chopping board
2 x Large sharp knife
Garlic press
Measuring spoons
Lemon squeezer
Measuring jug
Pestle and mortar
Non-stick wok or deep frying pan
Wooden spoon or fish slice
Pan stand

Instructions

1. Dice the pork into 3cm pieces, removing any fat. Wash your hands after touching the raw meat.
2. Wash the spring onions, pepper, mangetout (or green beans), chilli and coriander and pat dry. Slice the mangetout into thick strips or trim and cut the beans in half.
3. Top, tail and chop the spring onions into 5cm pieces (include most of the green tops). Chop the red pepper in half, deseed and slice thinly.
4. Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic and chop the coriander.
5. Deseed the chilli and slice finely (wash your hands afterwards).
6. Cut the lime in half and squeeze out the juice into a measuring jug.
7. Crush the peppercorns (if using) with a pestle and mortar, then tip into the measuring jug with the lime juice. Add the Chinese five spice, soy sauce, honey, water and cornflour and mix together.
8. Heat the oil in the wok on a medium heat. Add the diced pork, garlic and ginger, then cook gently for about 10–15 minutes until the pork is no longer pink.
9. Add the red pepper, spring onions, chilli, mangetout and cook for 2–3 minutes.
10. Pour in the Chinese five spice mixture and stir together. Bring to the boil, then turn down and cook for 5–10 minutes adding a little more water if the sauce is too thick.
11. To serve, sprinkle with the fresh coriander.

Skills used include:
Washing, measuring, peeling, chopping, crushing, squeezing, mixing/combining, boiling/simmering and frying.

Top Tips

• Try grating the ginger if you are having trouble chopping small pieces.
• To cut up the coriander, use some scissors as it is easier than chopping with a knife.
• Avoid using diced pork as it may need a longer cooking time and it might be tough.

Something to try next time

• Try adding some chopped broccoli or strips of carrot to increase the amount of vegetables.
• You could use 500g lean minced pork instead of the pork tenderloin. Dry-fry the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it changes colour from pink to light brown. Drain off any fat with a spoon, then add the ginger and garlic and continue with the recipe.

Prepare now, eat later

• This dish is best eaten as soon as it is cooked, when the colours are vibrant and the vegetables are fresh and slightly crunchy.