Stir-fry Pork with Negi (Japanese scallion)
There are lots of leftover negi 葱 (aka Japanese scallions, welsh or long green onion) from the CNY hotpot sessions. During the festivities, the supermarkets are selling these scallions more cheaply so I often buy more stalks at one go to enjoy the discounts. No worries, as we love scallions at home. When I tried using the scallions for stir-fries instead of putting it in hot pot, we loved it instantly. The cooked scallion has a pleasantly mild & sweet onion flavour that complements meat well. Check out the step-by-step photos below, including how to prepare the scallions.
See Also:
- Stir-fry Pork & Veggies Recipe
- Stir-fry White Bittergourd & Pork Recipe
- Easy & Delicious Stir-fries Recipes
A highlight of this dish is the subtle wine taste in the sauce, which goes very well with rice.
Prepare the negi (scallion):
This is negi (long green onion or Japanese scallions). They are popularly used in hot pot. During CNY season, they are sold in abundance, making them fresher & cheaper than usual.
Trim and discard the end. Separate the top green leafy part from the bottom white portion.
Cut the white portion diagonally to uniform short lengths (about 1-inch/2.5 cm). The dark green leafy portion is usually discarded, but I like to use them to make a 5-minute stock.
This is the prepared cut scallions used in this recipe.
Marinade sliced pork with sesame oil, soy sauce, Chinese wine and white pepper powder…
… and cornstarch …
Stir to mix well. Marinade in the fridge for at least half hour and up to overnight.
Cooking the dish:
Stir-fry the aromatics.
Stir fry the scallions for 1 minute, then add marinated pork and cut chilli.
Add a splash of chicken stock and Chinese wine. Stir fry until the pork is cooked. If you like a dry stir-fry, you can serve it like pictured above …
… but I prefer some sauce, so I added some water. Simmer the sauce down for a few seconds so that it thickens slightly.
Stir fry Pork with Negi (Japanese scallion) Recipe
In this recipe, negi aka long green onions or Japanese scallion is the main vegetable. The negi gives the dish a clean and fresh taste to balance out all that meat. You can substitute it with any local leeks. If you don’t eat pork, you can substitute with sliced beef or cubed chicken fillet.
Check out the detailed step-by-step photos on the previous page.
Ingredients:
- 150g pork* (see note below) sliced thinly, diagonally & against the grain
- 2 stalks “negi” (Japanese scallion/ long green onion) use only bottom white portion, about 150g; see note
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 thinly sliced ginger
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 finger-length red chilli (see note) sliced diagonally & thinly
- 2 tbsp chicken stock or substitute with water with a pinch of salt; to taste
- 1 tbsp Chinese wine (Hua Tiao/Shaoxing)
- more water if needed
- chopped spring onions and/or coriander to garnish
(A) Marinade
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp Chinese wine
- 1/2 tbsp corn flour
- 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 dashes white pepper powder
Directions:
- Prepare scallions by slicing the bottom white portion of the scallion diagonally to uniform short lengths. See step-by-step photos here.
- Marinade sliced pork with (A) in the fridge for at least half hour or up to overnight.
- Fry aromatics & scallions. Heat oil in a wok. Add garlic & ginger; stir-fry briefly until fragrant. Add prepared scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add marinaded pork and red chilli. Stir fry until the pork is just cooked on the surface. Add chicken stock and Chinese wine. Stir fry quickly until the pork slices are cooked. Add more water or stock if you like some sauce & simmer down for a few seconds. To serve, garnish with spring onions &/or coriander.
Cooking Note(s)
- Cut of pork. Use lean pork 廋肉 (no fats but slightly tougher), shoulder butt 五花肉 (some fats for more flavour & more tender meat) or tenderloin 腰肉 cut (most tender but most expensive) according to your preference, budget & availability.
- The top dark green portion of the scallion is usually discarded but I like to use them to make soup stock.
- The finger-length red chilli adds colour and mild heat. For a more spicy version, use 1-2 bird’s eye chili (chilli padi) instead.