Recipe: Pork Cutlets, Broccoli and Carrots in Oyster Sauce

I had something better planned for our CNY dinner menu (soup, main dish and dessert) but I wasn't up to cooking anything elaborate anymore after the unfortunate events that took place that morning so I decided to just do the pork version of this recipe.

Prep time: 1-2 hours (that includes the marinating time)
Cooking time: 30-45 mins

What I used for this recipe were:

• 1/2 kilo lean pork pigue (better if I used tenderloin or lomo), cut in 1/2 x 1 inch strips
• 2 cups of Broccoli florets
• 1 medium carrot, cut in strips (about the same size as the pork)
• 1 med white onion, sliced in strips 
• 1 cup button mushrooms (we had leftovers of the canned one), cut in half
• 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1/8 cup oil (I used palm oil for this one)

Sauce:

• 1 tsp rice wine
• 3 tbsps oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 muscovado sugar
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Marinade (for the pork):

• 6 pcs calamansi (yes I like it sour and citrus-y)
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce

How I did it:

1. Combined the marinade ingredients and added the pork and massaged it for a few minutes to help tenderize it. I put it back in the fridge to marinate for about 2 hours (yes I really wanted the meat to absorb the flavor of the marinade)

2. I blanched the broccoli florets and carrot strips in boiling water for about 2 mins, drained it and set it aside.

3. About an hour before dinner time, I started sauteeing - onion and garlic - in smoking hot oil. I added the pork and stir-fried it till it turned brown-ish. I added the mushrooms and then I pour the marinade over the meat, covered it and let it boil till it was almost dry (this process took about 20mins)

4. Mix all the sauce ingredients and pour over the meat. Let simmer till you get your desired sauce consistency/thickness.

5. Add in the blanched veggies and stir till the veggies are coated with the sauce.

6. Serve with hot, steamed rice. Enjoy!!!!

This recipe was able to feed 6 hungry stomachs. Went a long way didn't it? (I guess it was the sauce who did it)

I was half-expecting it to be a disaster but it turned out to be pretty good.
Now making a mental note to buy a stir-fry wok so I can experiment more on Chinese dishes.