Hakka-Style Stir-Fry with Pork and Squid

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound boneless pork belly
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable, peanut, or canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced to matchsticks
• 1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 cup Chinese celery, cut to 2-inch long pieces
• 2 scallions, sliced on a bias into 1-inch pieces.
• 2 tablespoons Asian rice wine
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 pound cleaned squid, tentacles removed and bodies sliced thinly lengthwise into strips

Directions

1. Fill a small pot with enough lightly salted water to cover the pork and bring it to a boil. Add the pork belly, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Drain it and set it aside until it is comfortable to handle, then cut it lengthwise into thin 1/4-inch slices.
2. Warm the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir now and then until they are hot, aromatic, and just starting to sizzle, about 10 seconds.
3. Add the pork belly to the pan and toss it quickly for about 1 minute. Mix in the carrot, celery, and scallions, stirring often, until the vegetables are still crisp but beginning to soften, about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the rice wine and soy sauce, and stir until the liquid is bubbling, about 30 seconds. Add the squid and keep stirring just until it turns opaque, about 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat, then adjust with salt and more soy sauce if needed. Serve right away.