Ken Hom

Stir-Frying Meat, Poultry, or Fish with Vegetables

Appears in
Chinese Technique
Chinese Technique

By Ken Hom

Published 1981

  • About
In a stir-fried meat and vegetable dish the meat is browned and removed from the wok, then the vegetables are cooked. The meat is returned to the wok only at the last minute to avoid overcooking.
  1. When the meat has browned, remove it from the wok and set it aside. Wipe the wok clean. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. Add the vegetables and stir-fry them quickly, to coat them completely with the oil and keep them from cooking unevenly.

  2. When the vegetables are coated, add the sauce ingredients. Bring them to a boil.

  3. When the vegetables are not quite cooked through, add the meat and finish the cooking together in the sauce. (With quick-cooking vegetables, such as bok choy or zucchini, the meat must be returned to the wok as soon as the sauce comes to a boil. With longer-cooking vegetables, such as carrots or broccoli, wait until the vegetables cook for a few minutes and begin to soften.) Finish by thickening the sauce as described for sauced-fried vegetables.