Chili Pepper Pork w/ Szechuan Peppercorns

I was reading the posts re Ma Po, and it seems some folks really like Szechuan Peppercorns. I thought I would post one of my favorite recipes using this spice. Try it, you will not be disappointed.

Chili-pepper Pork

1/2 pound pork shredded marinate this in 1 tsp dark soy along with 1 1/2 tsp of cornstarch (I use tapioca powder) dissolved in 2 tsp of water - add 1 1/2 tsp oil.

Ingredients:

4 dried red chili peppers - I use 12 - beware it is HOT! I am used to it 2 quarter size slices of ginger 1 large clove of garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups shredded celery 1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoots

Sauce ingerdients:

2 tb dark soy sauce 1 tb dry sherry 2 tsp Chenkong vinegar or red wine vinegar 2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp roasted and ground Szechuan Peppercorns - roast in iron skillet till the peppercorns start to smoke, then lightly crush in mortor and pestle. 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp of water 2 tsp sesame oil (I use the hot)

In wok stir fry the marinated pork till the pinkness is gone - about a minute or so. Add about 1/4 cup water and cover - steam cook vigoriously till most of the liquid is gone. Set meat aside. Add 2 tb of oil to the wok, add the chili peppers and stir fry till they turn black. Scatter in the ginger and garlic and stir quickly a few times then add the celery and bamboo shoots and stir fry for about 1 - 2 minutes. Add the pork stir and then add the sauce mixture coating well. Enjoy!

I double the sauce portion of the recipe because it is so good.

I got this recipe from my favorite Chinese cookbook: The Key To Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo. I have used this book for over 20 years - pages are falling out, it's got soy sauce all over it; a real heirloom.

Regards,

Rich