Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 1: Score the outer husk of the bamboo shoot lengthways with a knife and peel it off layer by layer. Trim away the obviously old, tough edges at the base, rinse clean and slice 2–3mm thick. Do not cut it into thick roll-cut chunks.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 2: Put the bamboo slices in a pot with about 1.5L of cold water and 2g of salt. Bring to the boil over medium-high, then hold at medium for about 5 minutes, stirring once gently partway through so the slices heat evenly. Under-blanching can leave an astringent, numbing edge; a hard rolling boil throughout breaks up the thin slices.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 3: Tip the blanched bamboo into a colander, rinse quickly under running water, turn it gently to cool, then leave it to drain. Blot the surface with kitchen paper if needed. Carrying a lot of water into the wok turns the stir-fry into a braise, and it makes the oil spit.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 4: Put the cured pork belly on a heatproof plate and steam over medium until the fat has softened slightly and a knife goes through easily. Blanching it for 5–10 minutes works too. Let it cool a little, then slice across the long side into irregular pieces 2–3mm thick. Roughly chop the garlic, snip the dried chillies into segments, slice the bird’s eye chillies into rings, and cut the garlic greens into flat 3–4cm pieces.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 5: Heat the wok, add about 10ml of oil, then add the cured pork and the dried chilli segments. Stir-fry over medium, letting the pork slowly render its own fat and keeping the slices apart as much as you can. Do not let the heat get too high, or the lean meat toughens and the dried chillies scorch.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 6: Add the garlic and bird’s eye chilli and stir-fry quickly for about 15 seconds; add the drained bamboo shoots and turn the heat to medium-high. Pour 15ml of cooking wine around the rim of the wok so it hits the hot metal and evaporates before it reaches the food, then toss immediately. Pouring the wine straight onto the pile of ingredients over insufficient heat leaves a pronounced raw-alcohol taste.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 7: Add 10ml light soy sauce, 8–10g oyster sauce and about 1g chicken bouillon. Stir-fry quickly over high heat so the seasoning forms a thin coating over the bamboo and pork. Taste, and add 0–0.5g of salt only if it genuinely needs it.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 8: Add the garlic greens to the wok, thicker pale stems first, then the dark green leafy parts a few seconds later. Toss quickly over high heat and turn off the heat the moment the leaves have just wilted.

Stir-fried Spring Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork | Step 9: Serve with rice.