Pork and Celery Stir Fry

This pork and celery stir fry asks almost nothing of you. Just slice, season, sear, toss, and you're eating in about the time it takes to cook a pot of rice. This one came together out of a happy accident. Celery here usually runs about a dollar a rib, but I caught whole heads on sale and couldn't walk past the bargain, and it turned out someone else in the house couldn't either. Two bushy heads of celery is a lot to squeeze into a tiny Japanese veggie drawer.

Celery in Japan carries more leaf than the trimmed stalks you might be used to, tasting like a cross between the stalk and a fresh herb. They're too good to compost, so I added both to the pan: the stalks sliced thin on the bias for crunch, the leaves wilted just enough to soften their edge while adding a vibrant green accent.

With the vegetables sorted, the pork is what carries the flavor. I seasoned it with a blend of white and Sichuan pepper for a warm, citrusy heat, then dusted it with a little potato starch before it hits the pan. It may seem like a bother, but it's worth the extra thirty seconds. The starch helps the pork brown, and the golden crust gives the fish sauce something to cling to at the end, while thickening up any juices into a glossy glaze.

Instead of using soy sauce, which would have turned it all brown, I used fish sauce, which pulls the celery stir fry together with boatloads of umami. Its deep, savory funk plays against the herbal celery and pepper, while the crisp stalks and sweet shintamanegi (new-harvest sweet onion) cut clean through the richness of the pork. That contrast is why I reach for a fatty cut like rib chop or pork belly. If pork's not your thing, this method will work with chicken thighs, beef, or shrimp, with a few modifications to cooking time (chicken will take longer).

The only real trick is to plate it while the celery still has its snap, so the contrast of textures lands against the rich, peppery pork.