Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

This pork and broccoli stir fry is a flavorful dish with tender cooked pork, crunchy broccoli florets, and savory, garlicky primary flavors. It can be a super comforting home-cooked dish that’s ready in 10 minutes. And I’d like to call it another rice killer.

Why this recipe

I have always loved broccoli because it is delicious and healthy. My favorite way to cook it is to sauté it with minced garlic. But adding pork slices enhances the flavor and makes it even more delicious.

How to use pork velvet for frying

For me, the process of marinating the pork cream is the key and fundamental step for all future steps. Velvety pork slices can be very tender after cooking thanks to the protection of the starch layer. Let’s learn how to cream pork for common frying recipes.

Cut the pork into pieces of equal thickness and place them on a plate. Add salt, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and white pepper to marinate the pork and get a savory taste.

Then, mix water and cornstarch. These two ingredients will form a protective layer that helps prevent the pork from drying out and becoming overcooked during the subsequent frying process.

Finally add a little oil and mix well. The layer of oil will prevent the pork slices from sticking to each other or to the bottom of the wok.

7 tips for a perfect stir-fry of pork and broccoli

1. First, heat the wok until hot. This it’s a crucial step to avoid the sticky problem of frying pork if you use a classic wok.
2. Avoid cooking cold meat. If you use frozen meat, make sure it is completely thawed before using it.
3. Fry in small batches. My favorite amount is no more than 200g. Using a wok to fry a large amount of pork will lower the wok temperature and increase the frying time, making the pork tough and chewy.
4. Stir quickly and constantly. Don’t leave the pork in the wok too long. Stir quickly and continuously to ensure each piece of pork is cooked evenly.
5. Transfer the pork slices at the right time. I recommend transferring the pork slices outside as long as the surface becomes pale and white. For two reasons, it’s 100% okay to find a slight pink color on the inside of the slices. First, the heat from the pork slices will continue to cook them (后热效应), and second, we will cover them with mushrooms later. It will then be cooked in the wok. So don’t overcook the pork slices. Transfer until pale.

Step by step instructions

Blanch the broccoli

I recommend blanching the broccoli before sautéing it because this can make it much greener and crispier. Add a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon of vegetable cooking oil. Add the broccoli and then transfer until the water starts boiling again.

Fry the pork

I’ve always loved frying the proteins first in classic protein and vegetable frying because this helps the oil absorb the flavor. So let’s fry the pork slices first.
First heat the wok or pan. Add cooking oil to the wok or pan, then spread the marinated pork when the oil is warm but not hot. Stir continuously until the pork slices turn darker in color.

Immediately transfer the pork slices. These are our best tender pork slices.

Add the broccoli

Now add the broccoli vegetable. After transferring the pork slices, leave the oil to soak.

Add the minced garlic and sauté until aromatic, then add the broccoli. Add light soy sauce and oyster sauce to give it a primary savory flavor.

Adding light soy sauce will give the dish some gravy, which you can mix with steamed rice. If you prefer a cleaner version, just use oyster sauce.

Mix it up

Now return the pork slices. Stir to combine everything. Do not overmix; otherwise, the starch layer can be destroyed. It’s a delicious pork and broccoli stir fry with slices of super teader pork and crispy broccoli.