Pork and Mushroom Stir-Fry

By Nigella Lawson

Updated April 16, 2024

Pork and Mushroom Stir-Fry
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
3 hours 35 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes, plus at least 3 hours' marinating
Rating
4(264)
Comments
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I have always had an aversion to the stir-fry. For me it has seemed a technique that sounds easier than it is. Everyone is always impressed that a stir-fried dish takes so little time to cook, but I saw endless chopping followed by frenzied last-minute activity at the stove that I felt unsuited for. I am a clumsy person, and there simply isn't a wok large enough for me to do a stir-fry and not end up with half the ingredients over all the burners. The recipe that won me over was this pork and mushroom dish. Marinating the pork keeps it wonderfully tender and makes the dish deeply flavorsome. And slicing mushrooms is never an effortful activity. Many Chinese cooks add a cornstarch paste at the end of cooking to create a binding sauce, but I love this one starch-free and light. You get depth but sprightliness.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound pork tenderloin
  • ¼cup oyster sauce
  • 2tablespoons plus ¼ cup dry sherry or Chinese cooking wine
  • 2teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1clove garlic, minced
  • ⅛teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1½teaspoons corn or canola oil
  • 4scallions, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1cup baby corn, each cob halved crosswise
  • 1½cups sugar snap peas
  • 2cups sliced bok choy
  • 1cup sliced oyster mushrooms
  • 1cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 3cups bean sprouts
  • 2tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

265 calories; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 706 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Slice pork into strips about 2 inches long, 1 inch wide and ¼ inch thick. Place in a bowl or sealable plastic bag, and add oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons sherry, sesame oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat well. Cover or seal, and allow to marinate at room temperature for 3 hours, or in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Place a large wok or skillet over high heat, and add oil. Allow pan to heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then add pork and marinade. Toss meat until seared and no longer pink. Add scallions, corn and sugar snaps. Stir until sugar snaps turn bright green, about 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Add bok choy and mushrooms, and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add bean sprouts and remaining ¼ cup sherry. Continue to stir until wine is almost evaporated. Transfer to a large platter, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
264 user ratings
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Comments

Annissa

I heavily modified this dish to work with what I had in the veggie drawer, and it turned out excellent. Broccoli rabe in place of sugar snaps, no baby corn--because it's gross and I never have it, red pepper in place of the bok choi, and only half pound of crimini mushrooms.

Es

This recipe served as a template for a venison stir-fry and it worked real well. The marinade provided enough flavor for the entire dish. Highly recommend it. Changes to recipe besides the venison strips included using peanut oil, parboiled snow peas instead of snap peas, blanched bok choy, mixed wild mushrooms, red and green peppers, and adding a little corn starch to the finishing Chinese rice wine. Delicious dinner. Served over white rice.

April

Pretty easy. I used what I had for veggies, which was chopped white onion, crimini mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli and peas. Still works fine. I sauteed the pork, took it out of the pan, and covered while I sauteed the veggies, added the sauce and then added it all together for a few minutes to warm the pork up. Served with basmati rice. Not bad for a Monday night. I will make again. too easy not to

VirtualAmyk

I also made some veg substitutions. I had the 3 cups of bean sprouts to use, but I put thinly sliced broccoli instead of snow peas, and I had baby mini King Oyster mushrooms, and white shimejis. I tried to stick close to the volume measurements given in terms of cups. I still decided not to add my Napa cabbage planned substitute for the bok choy because the ratio of vegs to sauce and meat seemed skewed to the veg side already. I was worried about not having enough sauce. And I did not have enough sauce, really, but I made the suggested cornstarch slurry and that got the sauce to stay on the stir fry and saved the day. There are other stir fry recipes out there with better sauce. But this was was easy and good and uses a lot of bean sprouts.

judys

I think this is the best stir fry I’ve made at home. We really liked the sauce. I made a few minor changes. I used leftover pork roast, and adjusted to use veggies I already had, snow peas, mushrooms, scallions, carrots, and a Serrano pepper. I added fresh ginger to the marinade and marinated several hours in the fridge. Served over brown rice and garnished with basil. I might up the heat a little next time, but liked the flavors.

Laura Griz

Really delicious. I added a couple chopped up dates to give a hint of sweetness, added some napa cabbage, and used more sherry. We ate every bit of it.

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