Recipe - Braised Asian vegetables with Kung Pao meat sauce

This recipe is inspired by the Kung Pao Chicken recipe from cooksillustrated.com, but with my own tweaks.

Braised Asian vegetables with Kung Pao meat sauce

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 1 1/2c low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2T dry sherry or rice wine
• 2T hoisin sauce
• 2T oyster sauce
• 2t soy sauce
• 4t black rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar
• 3t cornstarch
• 12 small whole dried red chilies (pref. serrano)

Meat:

• 1 lb ground pork (or other meat as preferred)
• 1 egg

Herbs and spices:

• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 4T peanut oil
• 4t toasted sesame oil

Vegetables:

• 1 can sliced water chestnuts (14oz)
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 head chinese cabbage (bok choi), chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced.
• 1 can baby corn (14 oz)
• 1 can bamboo shoots (14oz)
• 1 container bean sprouts
• 1 container straw mushrooms (can substitute ordinary ones), sliced

Finishers:

• 1/2c unsalted roasted peanuts
• 6 medium scallions

Preparation:

• Mix the sauce ingredients in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, put the ground pork and break an egg over it. Work the egg into the meat with your hands until evenly mixed. Form the mixture into a few patties.
• Put the patties into the sauce and allow to marinate for ten minutes or more.
• In a wok or stir fry pan, add about a third of each oil, heat to medium, then add the ginger and garlic and fry, stirring, until they begin to become fragrant.
• Turn the heat to high, add the meat, and stir fry, breaking up the patties, until the ground meat is evenly seared and beginning to brown.
• Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
• Add the rest of the oil to the pan.
• Still on high, add the vegetables and fry until they are seared and beginning to brown.
• Turn the heat to low, add the meat and the sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency.
• Add the peanuts and cook for another minute or two.
• Serve over rice, garnished with a sprinkling of scallions.