Twice-cooked garlic pork (Chinese cooking for Australians)

 

For 4 servings 

• 625 gr pork tenderloin
• 30 ml vegetable oil
• 1 whole star anise, lightly ground
• 5 ml brown peppercorn, lightly ground (optional)
• 5 ml five spices powder
• 4 shallots or 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 8 cloces garlic, sliced
• ½ each red and green pepper, cut into ¾" (2 cm)
• 3 dried black mushrooms, soaked
• 60 ml vegetable oil

Sauce

• 60 ml water
• 2 ml chicken stock powder
• 30 ml dark soy sauce
• 30 ml Hoisin sauce
• 10 ml dry sherry
• 2 ml salt
• 7 ml sugar
• 5 ml sesame oil
• 5 ml cornflour
• Pinch of white pepper

Preparation

1. Place pork on a fireproof plate and rub in the 30 ml oil ; scatter on star anise, brown peppercorn and rub in the five spices powder.
2. Squeeze water from mushrooms, remove stems and slice caps thinly.
3. Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Cooking

1. Set pork over boiling water and steam for 30 minutes ; lift out and leave to cool, then cut into thin slices.
2. Drop peppers into boiling water to blanch 20 seconds ; drain and splash with cold water to brighten color and drain again.
3. Heat oil in a wok and stir fry garlic on medium-high heat for a few seconds ; add shallot and stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the sliced pork and stir-fry until well browned ; add peppers and mushrooms and stir over high heat for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the sauce and bring to the boil ; simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens and glazes the meat.
6. Arrange sliced pork on a plate with peppers, shallots and mushrooms ; sprinkle with sesame oil and white pepper.

BON APPÉTIT