Chinese Stir-fried Pork with Leeks

A simple recipe I found in Saveur magazine, lifted directly from there and then screwed up only slightly on my first attempt.  I will post the recipe ingredients as printed, with a couple of caveats in the instructions.  The recipe describes 'reverse stir-frying', where the vegetables are [atypically] cooked before the meat, then added back in.  I'll admit, I usually cook the meat first, but I don't think this is anything earth-shattering.

I wish I could tell you more about the backstory of this dish, because based on its short ingredient list, I picture this as coming from the countryside.  It's like the Chinese equivalent of a really good taco - throw a few things together, let the individual flavors really shine through, and don't get too fancy with anything.  It doesn't hurt that you're using leeks either, which are delicious in almost everything so long as you rinse the dirt out of them thoroughly.  The longer you can let the meat sit with the seasonings, the more flavorful the product will be.  I recommend more like 1-2 hours in the fridge at least, with the last 45 minutes left out to come closer to room temperature.

Simple, flavorful, rustic.  Not what you think of for Americanized Chinese food.  But really freaking good.

Recipe originally posted here Sept. 2011, updated on second attempt in Jan. 2013. Updated again June 2025 with revised instructions.


Stir-Fried Pork with Leeks (Cong Bao Rou Si)
From Saveur, December 2010

Updated 8/24/13: At the request of a fellow chef, I have doubled the marinade ingredients.

• 10 oz. boneless pork butt, frozen for 20 minutes and cut into 2" x 1/8" strips (thin is good here!)
• 2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
• 2 tsp. dark soy sauce (this is not just dark-colored soy sauce)
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, cut diagonally into 1/4"-thick slices

In a medium bowl, combine the pork, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and half the garlic; let sit for 15 minutes at a minimum, and don't refrigerate again unless you plan to let marinate for a while. After adding the other marinade ingredients, THEN add the sesame oil, otherwise those flavors won’t penetrate as well. And use dark soy sauce, not to be translated as "darkly colored normal soy sauce".  This is soy sauce with sugar or molasses added, which gives it a much sweeter and richer flavor, and also makes it more of a syrup.  It will also lend a much darker color to your finished product, make it so your food burns if you're not careful, and thicken a dish much more than regular soy sauce.

Marinate your pork in dark soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and a few other simple ingredients, and let it hang out.

While the meat is marinating, clean the leeks THOROUGHLY.  Leeks are infamous for hiding dirt in their many layers - I typically cut through the stem enough to get a sprayer in there, but since this recipe wants whole rings, I went a different route.  Just slice off the green tops (maybe the top 1/3 of what's shown below), the bottom 1/4", and then slice into your rings, breaking them apart slightly so the pieces are all loose.  Now rinse the rings, and try to get as much water off as possible.  A salad spinner will come in handy here.


Leeks, soaking in water to clean them out a bit.

This is what you're left with after slicing and rinsing.  When you stir-fry these up, they should cook very quickly because of their thin cut.  Don't overcook them

To prepare, heat a 14" wok over high heat until wok begins to smoke. Add 1 tbsp. oil around the edge of the wok and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Add the leeks and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer leeks to a plate and set aside.

Time to fry up some leeks

Return wok to high heat and add remaining oil around edge of wok, swirling to coat the bottom and sides. Add the pork mixture and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until the pork is browned, about 2 minutes.  Really look for browning, and make sure the wok isn't too crowded, or you will end up boiling your meat in the juices it releases.  You want enough heat getting to all the meat that it quickly browns before giving up any moisture.  My wok gets hot, but not rocket hot like in a restaurant.  That would have helped even more.  NOTE: if you put the meat in and it sizzles like it's searing, this is good.  But if it starts to get quiet, that is bad.  It means your wok isn't hot enough for the amount of food you put in, which is probably more cold than it is in your average poorly sanitized restaurant kitchen, making things extra hard for you.  So do this - if you suspect that your wok isn't going to get the job done, just stop.  Take everything out, and get the wok as hot as it will get again.  Now add the meat back in, half at a time, and cook until done, setting aside the cooked meat in between.  You won't need to add more oil each time because the oil is still all over the meat.  This is what I did last night, and it worked out great.  Just remember to use all of your senses - sometimes cooking can involve listening just as much as watching.

I cooked the pork in two batches, to make sure it would saute instead of steam.  This gave it a much nicer color, and allowed the sugars in the dark soy to caramelize a bit (the black specks)

Add leeks back to the wok and add the remaining garlic and cook, stirring and tossing often, until just tender, about 1 minute. Don't overcook, or the meat will toughen.

If you want slightly more sauce, mix up another 2 tsp dark soy sauce, maybe 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, and a splash of sesame oil. Turn the heat down to medium to avoid burning this, add this sauce, and toss to combine. I’ve tried adding more cornstarch and broth, but this changes the dish immensely and the feel just isn’t right. Dry is good on this one to get the flavor of the leeks a bit more readily.

Return everything to the wok and toss to combine for a minute or less

Serve immediately, over rice.  Don't get crazy with the condiments, this is meant to be a simple dish

Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs

Saw this a while back and thought it might be a fun one to make.  Like an Italian wedding soup, this recipe is made with a bunch of miniature meatballs, although unlike the wedding soup the meatballs are browned first.  Because of the little meatballs floating in the soup, I'd wager that this would be a good way to trick kids into eating fresh vegetables without resorting to stuffing anything down their throats while they sleep, or bribery.  Use whatever vegetables you have lying around the fridge to make this - celery could replace leeks (though I'd shoot for the real thing), green onions can replace chives, and you could put in bok choy, or cabbage, or some turnips, or whatever else might be just past its prime.

Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs
Bon Appétit, April 2012

• 6 ounces ground chicken (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, divided, plus more for garnish
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced, 2 thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (I may have used green onions)
• 1 large egg, whisked to blend
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 5 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 3/4 cup ditalini or other small pasta
• 1 cup 1/2" rounds peeled carrots
• 1 cup (packed) baby spinach
• Chopped fresh basil

The setup

Mix the filling, then shape into meatballs

Mix chicken, breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, 2 minced garlic cloves, chives, egg, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Form into 1/2"-diameter meatballs (makes about 28).

Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat. Cook meatballs until golden all over, about 3 minutes (they will finish cooking in soup). Transfer to a plate; set aside.

Add leek to pot and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook for 1 minute. Add broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and carrots; simmer until pasta is almost al dente, about 8 minutes. Add meatballs; simmer until pasta is al dente, carrots are tender, and meatballs are cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Add your soup ingredients.  This is where you can take a bit of creative license.

Add the meatballs and cook them through

Add spinach and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan; stir until spinach is wilted and Parmesan is melted. Season with salt and pepper.  Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped basil and Parmesan.

Roast Pork Loin with Shiitake and Leek Compote

I found a recipe allowing me to repurpose a single roasted pork loin dish into five other good sounding recipes, but the basic pork dish didn't sound like a winner.  So I went digging around until I found a good starting point that I would want to actually try.  This dish consists of a pork loin seared and roasted over a bed of leeks and mushrooms, fairly simple to prepare and loaded with flavor.  Plus, the pork is mildly flavored on its own, so you can use it for other dishes afterwards as you see fit.

The roast before boiling down the compote

Roast Pork Loin with Shiitake and Leek Compote
Gourmet, January 1995

• 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only)
• 1-pound center-cut boneless pork loin (mine was about 2 pounds, but I used it for other things afterwards)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

The setup.  I found shiitakes at an asian grocery store for much cheaper than the megamart

Cut leek crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and in a bowl soak in water to cover, agitating occasionally to dislodge any sand, 5 minutes. Lift leek out of water and drain in a colander.

Leeks are notoriously dirty.  Don't skip the step of soaking them, and then lift them out instead of dumping them out (the dirt will have sunk to the bottom of the bowl)

Trim any fat from pork. Season pork with salt and pepper and pat with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. In a 10-inch oven-proof non-stick or cast-iron skillet heat butter or oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown pork loin, turning it. Transfer pork to a plate.

Brown the pork loin.  Cast iron helps hold the heat for this.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In fat remaining in skillet cook mushrooms and leek with salt over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add wine and broth and bring to a boil. Put pork on vegetables in skillet and roast in middle of oven 40 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 160°F.

Mushrooms and leeks before cooking

Mushrooms and leeks, after cooking.  Again, I highly recommend cast iron on this, or else they might stick/burn or require a ton of oil

Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. If vegetable compote is too thin, cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost all liquid is evaporated. Stir remaining teaspoon chopped parsley into compote.

Pork and leek compote, served here with roasted vegetables

Slice pork thin and serve, garnished with parsley, with compote.