Stir-fried Pork with Hoisin and Greens

I don't know about you but, as is usually the case at this time of year, I'm a bit sick of cakes and sweets and have been scouring my recipe books for lighter, healthier dinners. Stir-fries are one of my favourite options in this situation as they usually include plenty of veg and are easy and quick to throw together. 

This recipe is a recent discovery that has quickly become a hit with the whole family. It's yet another successful recipe from one of my favourite books, Every Dayby Bill Grainger, and I've yet to make something from it that I didn't like.

As with all good stir fries this is quick to make and, thanks to the five-spice marinade and the combination of hoisin sauce, soy sauce and chicken stock, it has bags of flavour. I've tweaked the recipe slightly as this suggests cooking the broccoli in the wok rather than boiling or steaming. I know broccoli doesn't benefit from being over cooked but at the same time I'm not keen on it when it's too crunchy and I can never manage to cook it enough in a frying pan or wok.  Also, I often buy a 600g pack of pork steaks from the supermarket and use half for each meal, instead of the 400g suggested below, which provides enough for two adults and two children.

Stir-fried Pork with Hoisin and Greens

(adapted from Every Day by Bill Grainger)

2 teaspoons cornflour

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice

400g/14 oz pork leg steak, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons chicken stock

1 tablespoon peanut oil (I just use sunflower oil)

3cm/1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 bunch tender-stemmed broccoli, cut into long florets and boiled or steamed for a couple of minutes until just cooked

6 spring onions, chopped

1) Mix together the cornflour, sesame oil and five-spice. Put the pork in a non-metallic bowl, pour the cornflour mixture over the top and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2) Mix together the soy, hoisin and chicken stock. Heat the peanut or sunflower oil in a large wok or frying pan over a high heat. Add the ginger, spring onions and pork to the wok and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the pork is light golden. Add the broccoli to the wok, add the sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Serve with jasmine rice or similar.

Serves 4