Pork Chop Suey

½ pound pork tenderloin

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons chicken broth or stock

1 teaspoon sugar

4–6 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

6 fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 stalks bok choy including leaves, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained

1. Cut the pork into thin slices. Marinate the pork with the rice wine, soy sauce, and baking soda for 30 minutes.
2. Combine the oyster sauce, chicken broth, and sugar. Set aside.
3. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the pork. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok.
4. Add 1–2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the celery and the bok choy stalks, then the bamboo shoots, stir-frying each for about 1 minute in the middle of the wok before adding the next vegetable. (If the wok is too crowded, stir-fry each vegetable separately.) Add more oil as necessary, pushing the vegetables up to the side of the wok until the oil is heated. Add the bok choy leaves and the green onion.
5. Add the sauce to the middle of the wok and bring to a boil. Add the pork. Mix everything through and serve hot.

Spicy Hoisin Pork

¾ pound pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 bunch spinach

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

¼ cup water

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

¼ teaspoon chili paste

1. Cut the pork into thin slices. Marinate in the soy sauce and baking soda for 30 minutes.
2. Blanch the spinach briefly in boiling water and drain thoroughly.
3. Combine the hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, and water. Set aside.
4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the pork and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, add the chili paste and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the spinach. Stir-fry for a minute, adding sugar or soy sauce to season if desired. Add the sauce in the middle of the wok and bring to a boil. Add the pork. Turn down the heat, mix everything through, and serve hot.

How to Season a Carbon Steel Wok

It's important to properly season a wok before using it for the first time. First, wash the wok in soapy water. Dry thoroughly, then lightly coat the inside surface with vegetable oil, using a paper towel and tilting the wok to ensure even coverage. Heat the wok on low-medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove to a cool burner and wipe off the inside with a paper towel. Repeat this process several times. The wok is ready to use when the paper towel doesn't pick up any black residue.