Stir-fry Asparagus & Roast Pork
Whenever there is leftover roast pork, I like add them to my stir-fries such as my golden fried rice and stir-fry leeks with roast pork. This stir-fry asparagus & roast pork is another example of such a dish. The roast pork provides the main protein and lend its the savoury deliciousness for this Chinese stir-fry.
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I used thin asparagus for this dish. Some people tolerate thin asparagus without any prepping but unfortunately not my family. We find the inherent asparagus stalks woody. For thin asparagus, I shave the bottom half of each asparagus but not all the way through (see photo above). The asparagus actually looks greener and better without shaving, and to me, the top half of a thin spear is still tender without any prep. If using thick asparagus, shave the stem all the way through as the woody texture is much more apparent.
When this dish is cooked, all you will need is steamed rice to soak up the savoury sauce, asparagus and roast pork. And if you don’t consume pork, or prefer a meatless version, you can use fried bean curd (tau kwa) cubes to replace the meat.
Stir-fry Asparagus & Roast Pork Recipe
In this recipe, thin asparagus are used. If using thick asparagus, check out this detailed tutorial on how to prep asparagus prior to adding to the wok, so that their inherent woody texture is eliminated.
For a meatless version, replace roast pork with fried bean curd (tau kwa) cubes and adjust the seasonings (add some fish sauce for example) accordingly.
Ingredients:
- 400 grams thin asparagus
- 150g roast pork home-made or bought from the deli; to thin strips
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 finger-length red chilli de-seeded and sliced to thin strips
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
(A) Seasonings
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp water add more if needed
- 2 dashes white pepper powder
Directions:
- Prep asparagus. Trim and discard the bottom ends (about 5 cm or 2 inches) of the asparagus. Optional: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the outer skin on the bottom half of each remaining stalk, to remove the woody texture. Slice prepped asparagus to uniform short lengths.
- Cook garlic and ham. Heat oil in a wokpan. Cook garlic and roast pork. Stir fry until the garlic just turned a light shade of golden.
- Cook asparagus and serve. Add prepped asparagus and seasonings (A). Stir fry everything quickly for 1 minute, then cover with lid and simmer for another minute before serving.