Pork Stir-fry with Garlic Sauce

This was one of my selections from the Cookbook of the Month, The Best Light Recipe.  I looked through the book for the best recipe I could find that used pork chops, since we have a bunch in the freezer.  Every 5 or 6 months we buy a giant pork tenderloin from the grocery store and then slice it up into inch thick chops and freeze them.  So, I can pretty much bet there are always pork chops in the freezer.  This recipe sounded good to me, and fairly easy/quick for a weeknight.  It turned out to be very yummy.  It's another recipe to keep around.  I think it was better than other stir-fries we have made because this time we got the sesame oil and hoisin sauce.  Before, I wasn't too interested in buying ingredients I thought would go bad before I would use them again, but I guess now I'd rather get the unique ingredients at the best attempt at replicating the flavors of the dish.  

Stir-Fried Pork, Scallions, and Peppers in Garlic Sauce

¾ pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dry sherry
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 cup scallion whites, sliced on the bias into 1-inch pieces
2 medium red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
1 ½ cups scallion greens, sliced on the bias into ½-inch pieces
1 recipe Garlic Sauce

1. Toss the pork with the soy sauce and sherry in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, and 2 teaspoons of the oil.
2. Heat 1 more teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the clumps, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a clean bowl.
3. Add 1 more teaspoon oil to the pan and return to high heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 minute. Add the remaining teaspoon oil and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Clear the center of the pan and add the garlic mixture. Cook, mashing the garlic mixture into the pan with the back of a spatula, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables. Add the pork and scallion greens and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine then add it to the pan and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, toss until the pork and vegetables are well coated with sauce and sizzling hot. Serve immediately.

Garlic Sauce:
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Combine all the ingredients except the garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add the garlic and pepper flakes to the garlic mixture in step 1 of the stir-fry recipe.