Hi Myrna,

Glad you asked. Oyster sauce is a thick, brown sauce with a sweet, salty, and earthy flavor. It's a popular ingredient in Vietnamese, Thai, and Cantonese cuisine and I often use it when preparing an Oriental dish. Traditionally, oyster sauce is made by slowly simmering oysters in water until the juices caramelize into a thick, brown, intensely flavorful sauce, however today, many shortcuts have been made to create a similar flavor more quickly and for less money. Just remember, the quality of the oyster sauce will greatly affect the flavor.

Personally, I use a vegetarian version of oyster sauce that is made using mushrooms to provide the deep, earthy flavor. Mushrooms, especially the oyster mushroom, have a high level of umami flavor, similar to that of real oysters. I prefer to use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Oyster Flavoured Sauce whenever I'm preparing a traditional Oriental dish. It fully captures the essence of shiitake mushrooms and it's excellent for braising and enriching any vegetarian dish, it can be used as a dip, and finally, it's also great for stir-frying pasta.

In this evening's recipe, quick cooking pork tenderloin is the perfect protein for another easy weeknight stir-fry. The sweet napa cabbage combines beautifully with the mellow pork and then the sweet and salty hoisin sauce ties it all together.

Hoisin Pork with Napa Cabbage

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips (about 3 inches long)
1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
3 Tbs. hoisin sauce (Once again, I like Lee Kum Kee brand)
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
6 cups napa cabbage, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 lb.)
1 red bell pepper, cored, thinly sliced, and cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives

In a large bowl, season the pork with 1/2 tsp. of the salt. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or large stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until it browns and loses most of its raw appearance, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the skillet. Add the garlic, and once it begins to sizzle, add the cabbage and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Add the hoisin mixture, the pork, and half of the chives and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute. Let sit for 2 minutes off the heat (the cabbage will exude some liquid and form a rich broth), toss well again, and serve sprinkled with the remaining chives. Serves 4.

Have A Terrific Tuesday,

Phil

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the explanation of the oyster sauce.

I have another question. Have you ever heard of fried cabbage, with caraway seeds served on noddles? I had a friend years ago that made that for me one time. Don't know what kind of oil she used to fry the cabbage, but it sure was good. I tried maybe it with what I thought, but it was never good like my friend had made. I am wondering if you can come up with an answer on this one. lol

Hello Again Myrna,

I'm not sure if this is the way your Friend fixed it or not, but this is the way my Grandma used to fix Fried Cabbage & Noodles...

Noodles & Fried Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 small head green cabbage, shredded
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (8-ounce) package wide egg noodles
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Combine cabbage and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Let stand for 1 hour.

Cook pasta using package directions; drain well. Keep warm.

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Add the cabbage to the bacon fat in skillet. Sprinkle with caraway seeds and black pepper.

Cook cabbage over low heat, stirring frequently, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Combine cabbage and pasta in a large serving dish and toss to mix well. Crumble bacon over cabbage mixture. Serves 8.

A variation for the meat lovers, add more bacon or 10 ounces cooked corned beef strips to cabbage and pasta just before tossing.

Have A Great Wednesday My Friend,

Phil

P.S. Click Here for 9 Other Suggestions from Cooks.com

Hi Phil,

Thanks, I don't remember her using any bacon,. but I will give it a try. Now I need to get noodles. Seem like you always need something. lol

hi phil. these look soooooooooooo good!!! would be good to use the same fritter batter and use long green beans. make for an Asian dinner.

YUM.

pat

Quote:

Carrot Fritters

Ingredients

• 6 carrots, julienned
• 1-1/2 onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1-1/2 bunches green onions, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 eggs
• 12 cups oil for deep frying

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine carrots, onion, green onions, flour, salt, pepper and eggs; mix well to coat.
2. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Using tongs, pick up veggies and drop into hot oil. Fry 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other. Serves 6.

Have A Terrific Thursday,

Phil