Instructions: Rinse the Cold Sweet and Sour Chinese Leaves orpreserved vegetable well in cold water.

Drain them in a colander and then blot them dry with kitchen paper.

Chop them finely and set them aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat.

Add the oil.

When it is almost smoking add the pork ana stir fry it for 2 minutes.

Stir constantly to break up any lumps.

Then add the Chinese Leaves or preserved vegetable ant the rest of the ingredients.

Continue to stir fry for another 5 minutes or until the pork is cooked.

Turn it onto a warm serving platter.

If you are serving it with Chinese pancakes or lettuce leaves each person piles a little of the meat mixture into a pancake or lettuce leaf wraps it up well and eats it with their fingers

This is tasty quick and inexpensive. The secret of its delicious flavour lies in the use of preserved vegetables which are typical of northern Chinese cuisine. Northern winters are long and cold and vegetables must be preserved by salting or pickling. You can use the Cold Sweet and Sour Chinese Leaves instead of the Sichuan or Tianjin preserved vegetable but it is worth the effort to get the latter from a Chinese grocer. I like to serve this as a stuffing for fresh lettuce leaves or Chillese pancakes (qv). Plain steamed rice and a simple stirfried vegetable dish such as Stirfried Spinach with Garlicwould also go well with it.

Serves 4

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