blue artichoke

Back on track here at the Blue Artichoke HQ. I returned from my trip back east just in time to get sick with GC. We moped around the house, popping pills and tossing tissues, from Wednesday through Saturday. We thought we were better on Saturday, until a trip to the farmer's market used up all our energy and tuckered us out for the rest of the day. Sunday we were much improved, and took in a round of disc golf to get us outside and moving in the fresh air. I felt well enough to cook (and eat!), so we wandered to China for some Kung Pao Pork.

Kung Pao is a Sichuan dish named after Ding Baozhen (1820–1886), who served as governor of Sichuan province under the title Gōng Bǎo ("palatial guardian"). The name "Kung Pao" is derived from this title. Usually made with chicken, Kung Pao's characteristic heat comes from Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chiles, which are flash fried in hot oil, then removed before the meat and vegetables are added to the now-fragrant hot oil. This dish follows the traditional method, but omits the peppercorns and adds the blackened chiles back at the end of cooking. Kung Pao recipes also traditionally include roasted peanuts or cashews, originally raw nuts roasted in the hot oil before adding the rest of the vegetables. Nuts are still included in the Westernized version, but usually are preroasted and tossed in at the last minute.

This dish was easy and quick to make, but I think I used the wrong kind of chiles because the meal was actually sort of bland. Often I can't order Kung Pao from Chinese restaurants because I'm a spice-wimp, so I thought I'd give it a whirl at home where I can control the heat. I used 3 giant dried chiles in place of the 8 small ones called for in the recipe. Maybe with the proper chiles, you'll have better luck.

Kung Pao Pork

Dried whole red chiles are often packaged in small jars and sold in the spice section of the supermarket.

1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
8 dried whole red chiles
2 cups coarsely chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup vertically sliced onion
1 teaspoon minced peeled gingerroot
1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
6 cups hot cooked rice

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well-blended. Set aside.

Trim fat from pork. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes. Combine pork, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a bowl; stir well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes.

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chiles; stir-fry 1 minute or until blackened. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add remaining oil and pork mixture to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, onion, and gingerroot; stir-fry 1 minute or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add sherry mixture; stir-fry 1 minute or until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in chiles and peanuts. Serve over rice.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup pork mixture and 1 cup rice)

CALORIES 449 (23% from fat); FAT 11.7g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.9g,poly 3.8g); PROTEIN 23.8g; CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 45mg; SODIUM 398mg; FIBER 3.3g; IRON 3.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 60.4g

Cooking Light, MAY 1996