Dang, does this look wonderful or what. It has a really nice level of spice and the ratio of the soy sauce and sesame oil is perfect, one doesn't overtake the other.
Don't overcook the zucchini, keep it a bit on the al-dente side because the recipe doesn't have a crunchy element. If you want to add one I think bamboo shoots or celery would be a great crunchy addition.
First I want to tell you about one of my kitchen staples. It resides on the top shelf of the refrigerator door, within easy reach. This one happens to be the Ginger Garlic Paste, I also have a smaller jar of just garlic paste. I prefer to use fresh garlic in most cases but the paste is my go-to for stir-frys and curries.
I think it's one of the best spicy sauces I've used in a long time. Of course, you can kick it up a notch or tame it down according to your spice tolerance.
The recipe calls one tablespoon of grated ginger, I substituted an equal amount of the ginger-garlic paste.
After you stir-fry the pork, then the zucchini separately throw them back together and douse with the sauce.
I like more sauce than the recipes call for, so I normally double the recipe. In this case, you definitely should, even doubling it there was "just enough".
The sauce would be perfect over any Asian noodle you could think of. I'm using it to make a cold spicy noodle salad to go with dinner tonight, Mmmmm
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Spicy Pork Zucchini Stir-Fry
Ingredients
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For the sauce:
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or Asian chili-garlic sauce
2 teaspoons toasted (Asian) sesame oil
For the stir-fry and serving:
1 pound zucchini (about 3 medium)
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
1 pound ground pork or ground meat of choice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
Cooked white or brown rice, for serving
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Directions
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Make the sauce: Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Make the stir-fry: Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons.
Heat a flat-bottomed wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water vaporizes immediately on contact.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil around the pan, add the pork, and season with salt and pepper. Let cook undisturbed for 30 seconds, then break the pork into small, bite-sized pieces and continue stir-frying until it's cooked through and golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a paper towel-lined plated and drain the pan of excess fat. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan, add the zucchini, and spread out into one even layer. Let cook undisturbed for 30 seconds. Stir-fry the zucchini until browned and just tender, about 5 minutes more.
Return the pork to the skillet, add the sauce, and stir-fry until the sauce is well-incorporated and the zucchini begins to look glossy, about 30 seconds more. Garnish with the scallions and serve over rice.
Make ahead: The sauce can be made 1 day in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Let the sauce sit at room temperature while preparing the stir-fry, and stir before adding to the pan.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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And that's that!