PORK STIR-FRY WITH CASHEWS, LIME AND MINT

Learning to stir-fry properly has taken me a very long time. In fact, I still have a ways to go. What is seemingly the easiest and quickest way to cook is in fact quite difficult to do well.  We’ve all done it at one point or another: soggy, partially cooked vegetables, under-browned meat with no flavor and heavy, copious amounts of grease. No, stir-frying isn’t as easy as Martin Yan and Rachel Ray might have us believe after all. But if you can remember a few simple rules, you can see results on par with some of the best asian takeout spots in your neighborhood.
Simply put, you need to bring the heat. From the second the first item goes into your pan to last moment before it’s plated, you must have your wok or skillet on the largest burner cranked-up as high as it will go. While this might seem intimidating at first, keep in mind that this intense heat will render the most authentic end-product; it’s the closest we home cooks can get to the insane amount of heat created by a 300,000 BTU wok station at a Chinese restaurant.
This recipe is a great one to get your feet wet with high heat stir-frying. Once your prep work is done, this meal comes together in a matter of minutes. Delicious, crispy pork blends perfectly with the crunch of cashews and a floral hit of mint and basil. Salty fish sauce and the bright tang of lime juice and zest elevate the dish beyond your humdrum takeout order, adding a taste that is both pleasant and unique.

Pork Stir-Fry with Cashews, Lime and Mint

Adapted from Nigel Slater’s, Real Food
Remember to keep your pan HOT during the cooking of this dish. It is important to allow the oil in the pan to just reach the point where is begins to smoke before adding your pork. Also, it helps to have your prepped ingredients at room temperature as this will help keep the pan from losing too much heat with addition. Finally, don’t be afraid to brown the pork in two batches if your pan isn’t large enough to accommodate all of the meat. This will ensure that it caramelizes quickly without losing too much moisture in the process.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
  
• 6 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 ounces cashew nuts or peanuts
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 4 small, hot red chiles, finely chopped
• zest and juice of 2 big, juicy limes
• 2 tablespoons nam pla (thai fish sauce)
• a handful of mint leaves chopped
• a handful of basil leaves, torn into shreds

METHOD

Slice the pork tenderloin into pieces about as thick as your little finger, then cut them again into short strips. Get a wok or large sauté pan really hot over a high flame and pour 3 tablespoons of the oil into it. Once the oil is really hot — you will probably hear it crackle — add the pork and cook for three or four minutes, until it is golden brown in patches. Stir it from time to time, otherwise it will not brown properly.
Meanwhile, chop the nuts quite finely. When the meat is browned and sizzling, remove it to a warm plate with any cooking juices, return the wok to the heat and, when it is really hot and smoking, add the remaining oil.  As soon as it is hot, add the spring onions, garlic, ginger and chillies and fry, stirring almost constantly for a minute or two.
Add in the nuts and stir-fry for a minute or two, then return the meat and any juices to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the fish sauce and fry for two minutes, then stir in the herbs. Serve immediately.
Serves 2 very hungry people or 4 with other courses