Dry-Fried Pork With Zucchini

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 medium-sized zucchini, about 8 ounces, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 pound thinly sliced country-style pork spare ribs or sirloin cutlets
• 8 to 12 dried Chinese red chilis
• 3 scallions cut into 1-inch segments
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole sichuan peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons Sichuan chili bean paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine, sherry, or vermouth
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil, chili oil, or a combination

Preparation

Step 1

1
Heat the wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Add the zucchini and stir-fry until the vegetable is tender but not mushy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.
2
Add remaining four tablespoons oil to wok and place over high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry until the meat has lost much of its moisture and is stringy around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes (reduce heat if pork or oil is smoking excessively).
3
Carefully pour off all but two tablespoons of the oil in the wok. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the chilis, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir-fry until they begin to release their fragrance, about 20 seconds. Add the chili bean paste and stir-fry vigorously to coat the meat, about 20 seconds longer. Add the rice wine and soy sauce. Add salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon.
4
Keep stirring the pork over medium-low heat, until the surface of the meat is dry and browned but the interior is still tender, about 5 more minutes.
5
Return the zucchini to the pan and stir fry until vegetables are coated in seasonings, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the oil(s), and serve immediately.