28 – APRIL 2020 PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA MURRAY
FOOD STYLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH. ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUPER FREAK.
MY HUSBAND AND I have a joke about how much he likes my cook-ing. “This is delicious!” he’ll say as he shakes a bottle of Sriracha all
over the soup/tacos/omelet/spaghetti I’ve made. I’ve learned not to
take it personally, and in fact I’ve joined him, finding that my own
spice tolerance has slowly crept up from virtually nonexistent to “Who
finished the chili crisp again?!”
Then there are the other two people in our family: the Picky Con-tingent. The older one, never wanting to miss out on the fun, asks for
a microscopic dot of hot sauce on his plate at dinner and then imme-
diately washes it down with half a glass of water. Still, this is progress.
The four-year-old, also known as the one who recently requested
“pasta with nothing on it and nothing near it,” would prefer not even
a speck of black pepper in her food. This, of course, poses a challenge
to the way I like my food: seasoned to the point where you might actu-
ally taste it, no matter how radical this sounds.
What’s a cook who refuses to make multiple versions of the samemeal to do? The first time I make something, like this asparagus stir-fry
that’s loosely inspired by my love for Sichuan dry-fried green beans, I
go easy on the heat. Mostly I’m just trying to get everyone to the table.
Then, once I’ve (hopefully) convinced everyone that they like this
dish—blistered yet snappy asparagus and crispy pork in a robust sauce,
how could they not?—I might sneak in an extra spoonful of chili crisp
next time, hoping the slight shift won’t be too detectable. We may never
get to a place where my husband doesn’t need to “adjust” his plate with
hot sauce, but it’s nice to be heading in the right direction.
Some Don’tLike It Hot
But with this Sichuan-inspired stir-fry, Deb Perelman makes it workPork and Asparagus Stir-Fry
4 SERVINGS We jump on asparagus the
second we see it at the market this time of
year, but green beans, snap peas, or any
other crisp green spring vegetable would
also be great here.3 tsp. peanut or vegetable oil,
divided
2 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut on
a diagonal into 1"–2" pieces
Kosher salt
8 oz. ground pork
6 scallions, white and pale green
parts only, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely
chopped
2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice
wine) or medium-dry sherry
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Cooked rice and store-bought chili
crisp (for serving)Heat 1 tsp. peanut oil in a large skillet
over high. Once pan is hot (oil will be
lightly smoking), add half of asparagus
and a couple pinches of salt and cook,
tossing only once or twice so the pieces
have a chance to blister, until crisp-
tender and lightly browned, about
4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a plate.
Add 1 tsp. peanut oil to skillet (no need
to wipe it out) and repeat process with
remaining asparagus.
Reduce heat to medium-high; add
remaining 1 tsp. peanut oil to skillet,
then add pork, spreading out into an
even layer. Season with a couple
pinches of salt and cook, undisturbed,
until meat begins to brown underneath,
about 2 minutes. Break up meat with
a wooden spoon and add scallions,
garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until
pork is crisp and mixture is very fragrant,
about 2 minutes. Add wine and soy
sauce and return asparagus to skillet.
Cook, turning to coat with pork mixture,
until heated through, about 1 minute.
Transfer stir-fry to a platter or large
shallow bowl and drizzle with sesame
oil. Serve with rice and chili crisp.