Stir-Fried Pork and Pineapple

Mark BittmanTime About 30 minutes Yield 2 servings

Michael Kraus for The New York Times

This recipe, an adaptation from “The Hakka Cookbook” by Linda Lau Anusasananan, came to The Times by way of Mark Bittman in 2013. The Hakka people are sometimes thought of as the Jews of China, because they’re dispersed all over the place. But the Hakkas cannot even point to an original homeland: you can find them everywhere. “Some people call us dandelions, because we thrive in poor soil,” says Ms. Anusasananan, who was born in California. Hakka dishes like this one, chow mein and pretty much anything in bean sauce, have defined Chinese-restaurant cooking for nearly everyone. This lively stir-fry comes together in about a half-hour and is easily doubled or tripled for a crowd.

view this recipe on NYTCooking.com

Ingredients

For the Pork

8 ounces boneless pork shoulder or loin, trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt

For the Stir-Fry

8 pieces dried black fungus, like cloud ears, each about 1 inch wide (see note)
3 scallions, including green tops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons thinly slivered fresh ginger
8 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
5 to 8 thin rings fresh chili (preferably red)

Preparation

For the Pork

Step 1
For the pork: Cut the pork into slices 1/8 inch thick, 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, oil and cornstarch, and mix with the pork.
Step 2
For the sauce: In a small bowl mix the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and salt.

For the Stir-Fry

Step 1
Rinse the fungus. In a medium bowl, soak the fungus in hot water until soft and pliable, 5 to 15 minutes, and then drain. Pinch out and discard any hard, knobby centers. Cut the fungus into 1-inch pieces. Trim the ends off the scallions, and then chop them, including green tops, into 2-inch lengths.
Step 2
Set a wok or a large frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, after about 1 minute, add the oil and rotate the pan to spread. Add the ginger and pork; stir-fry until the meat is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the pineapple, black fungus, sauce mixture, scallions and chili. Stir-fry until pineapple is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
Dried black fungus is available at most Asian grocery stores.