Stir Fried Morning Glory with Pork in Oyster Sauce

I have been blogging now for only two days and already I have started to receive requests on other recipes.  Although I originally planned to write blogs on the weekend, I could not say no to a special request from a very close friend of mine who so happens to also follow my blog.  So today I would like to share a favorite in the household of The Frustrated Fil-Am Chef, Stir Fried Morning Glory with Pork in Oyster Sauce.

Morning glory is a green leaf vegetable that is widely used in Southeast Asian cooking. To my fellow kababayan from the Philippines, morning glory is known as kang-kung and is often used in dishes such as sinigang (tamarind broth soup), adobo, and is even battered and deep fried.  However , stir frying morning glory is not a common method in the Philippines.

The recipe I am presenting today is a Thai inspired recipe, with very strong influence from Chinese cuisine.  I have also added thinly sliced pork to add a source of protein to the recipe.  The ingredients in preparing my morning glory recipe is very short, making it simple to make for those who are on the run.  A couple of tips should be observed when cooking any stir fried dishes:

1.       Use a properly seasoned wok that has been well oiled.

2.       Stir fry using high heat to add the element of "wok hei" or the breath of the wok to add depth and flavor that is common in Asian cooking.

3.       Do not overcook the vegetables.  Stir frying should be fast to lock the flavor of the vegetable.

As this is a Thai inspired recipe, I often use bird-eye chilies for a good amount of heat to give the morning glory an added kick to the taste buds (this can be taken out if you prefer a milder version) .

Stir Fried Morning Glory and Pork in Oyster Sauce

2 Packages of  Morning glory chopped 2 inches in length
200g Thinly sliced pork
4 Cloves of garlic minced
3-5 chopped bird eye chilies (optional)
2-3T Oyster Sauce
1T Fish sauce
1t sugar
1/4 cup of water
Egg white
1T Soy Sauce
1T Corn starch
Oil

1. Combine sliced pork with egg white, soy sauce, and corn starch solution and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat wok with oil (enough to cover meat) and fry pork til golden brown.  Set aside.

3.   Reduce oil to 2T and heat wok at high till the it begins to smoke.  Add chopped morning glory to the wok and stir fry. 

4:  Add garlic, chopped chilies, oyster sauce, fish sauce.  Slowly add the water till you reach desired taste and add sugar. 

5.  Immediately add pork to the dish and stir fry for a couple of minutes and serve.

---The Frustrated Fil-Am Chef