Pot Stickers And Stir Fry!

 You know how the Hawthornes love their stir fries.

Middle Hawthorne offered to prepare the jasmine rice

with onions, carrots, green peas, egg, and soy sauce,

which he does very well.

I'm making pork-filled pot stickers

with a Tamari/chili sauce/sesame oil dipping sauce,

and a pork and broccoli and bok choy, among other things, stir fry.

 It's going to be a very good lunch, indeedy.

 First, my Dipping Sauce.

1/4 cup tamari sauce

1 TB Mirin

1 garlic clove, minced

1 knob of ginger, peeled and minced

2 scallions, sliced

2 TB sweet chili sauce

a few drops toasted sesame oil - to taste

 Mix all together.

Dipping sauce is done.

Set aside.

Now, I'm starting on the pot stickers.

1 pound ground pork

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp shaoxing (rice wine)

3 scallions, sliced

1 knob of ginger

2 TB water

freshly ground salt and pepper

 

  Take an unpeeled knob of ginger

and whack it with a rolling pin.

 Cover with about 2 tablespoons water.

Let sit while you prepare the rest.

 

 

 I mixed the sesame oil and rice wine with the egg

and poured into the salted and peppered pork.

 Add in the ginger water, not the ginger.

I found this tip in Fuchsia Dunlop's

 Every Grain of Rice - Simple Chinese Home Cooking.

Save the ginger for the stir fry.

 Add in the scallions.

 Mix well.

 Your hands are the two best tools in your kitchen.

Use them.

 Mound a small spoonful of the pork mixture

in the center of a wonton.

Do not overfill.

Dampen the edges and seal.

  Pot stickers are ready.

 I heated my skillet and gave it a few squiggles of peanut oil

to cover the bottom.

Heat to 340-350° and add in wontons.

Cook until brown on the bottom.

 I don't think anybody browns both sides except me.

I like it that way.

 I poured in about two cups of water,

covered the pan,

and cut of the heat.

 I've prepared the pot stickers and the dipping sauce

and Middle Hawthorne has prepared the rice.

Now, I'm ready to do the stir fry.

 What I'm Throwing Into My Stir Fry:

Marinated pork strips (2 loins)

Mushrooms, sliced

broccoli florets (I peel the stems.)

onion, chunked

celery, sliced

carrots, crinkle-cut

bok choy, chopped

scallions, sliced

 Mr. Hawthorne had sliced the pork loins earlier.

It's best to do this while the meat is slightly frozen.

He marinated the pork strips in:

1 TB Mirin

1 TB soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine

 2 TB sugar

1 TB cornstarch

They probably marinated for about 30 minutes.

Long enough for me to prepare everything else.

 

Time:  2:28

 My wok is over high heat.

I poured in a few tablespoons of peanut oil.

Get it to just smoking hot 

and dump in all vegetables except for scallions.

Stir!

 Time 2:29

Pour about 1 cup water down the side of the wok.

Steam!

 

 Time:  2:32.

Pour vegetables into a bowl and cover.

 

 I see Mr. Hawthorne has added some sliced garlic to the pork.

  

 Time:  2:33

Heat wok and add in 2 TB peanut oil.

Add in handfuls of the pork strips.

 

 Time:  2:34

 Time:  2:36

Add in the marinade.

Stir!

Time:  2:36

Add in the vegetables.

 Time:  2:36

Ready to eat.

 My pot stickers.

Serve with the sweet chili sauce

and the dipping sauce drizzled over top

and with scattered scallions.

 Here's the stir fry with rice.

 

This is what I love about stir fries -

they're so pretty!

The colors are bright and vibrant.

And there are so many colors!

Plus you have all those textures and tastes.

 Doesn't get much better than this.