Possible Cooking Methods: Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Szechuan dishes are generally bold and spicy, and this recipe is no exception. You can, however, control the spice level by adding less or more of the red chili sauce to suit your taste. Look in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store for all the ingredients listed below. While they may not be on your regular shopping list, they are all pretty widely available. For a quick shortcut, you could pick up a bottle of ready-made Szechuan sauce and use ½ cup of that instead. This delicious one-pot meal is better than take-out, and you won’t have to tip the delivery person!
canola oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, cut in 2-inch strips
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 carrots, julienned
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1½ cups jasmine rice
3 cups chicken stock*
1 (5-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained
1 to 2 tablespoons red chili sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
5 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
*Quantity changes for alternate methods
Stovetop Directions
Serves:4
Cooking Time:30 minutes
1. Pre-heat a large 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat. Add the oil and quickly sear the pork strips on both sides. Remove the seared pork from the pan and set it aside.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and red pepper, sautéing for another 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and sauté for a few minutes more. Add the chicken stock and bamboo shoots, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not stir or lift the lid during this time.
3. Combine the chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce and water in a small bowl. (Remember to adjust the chili sauce to your taste for spice.) Add this sauce mixture and the scallions to the rice in the skillet. Return the pork to the pan, toss and simmer for a few more minutes, until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened.
4. Serve the pork and rice in bowls with chopsticks and extra soy sauce and sesame oil at the table.
Additional Cooking Directions for
Pressure Cooker Directions
Serves:4
Cooking Time:14 minutes
Change Ingredients: Reduce chicken stock to 2½ cups
1. Pre-heat a 6-quart multi-function pressure cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting.
2. Add the oil and quickly sear the pork strips on both sides. Remove the seared pork from the cooker and set it aside.
3. Add the onions to the cooker and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, red pepper and rice, sautéing for another 2 minutes. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a skillet on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Add the chicken stock and bamboo shoots, and return the seared pork to the cooker. Cover and lock the lid in place.
4. Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
5. Combine the chili sauce (remember to adjust the chili sauce to your taste for spice), soy sauce, and sesame oil and oyster sauce in a small bowl.
6. Release the pressure using the QUICK-RELEASE method and carefully remove the lid. Stir the sauce and the scallions into the rice and serve with extra soy sauce and sesame oil at the table.
