Pork and Ginger Stir Fry

July 2, 2002

Having had our cat in storage for the past month, I decided it was time he came home and time we moved back into our bombsite. There has been a flurry of activity on the renovation front as the places is swarming with painters. One son's old bedroom downstairs is habitable so we are camping there until we retrieve order out of chaos.

I went to the cattery and collected the cat and was told to keep him inside for a couple of weeks so he wouldn't run away.

No problem. He is nicely set up in the laundry with all the things a cat could want, including a new lambskin in his basket, courtesy of my mother.

I decided it was best for him to stay there out of the way while the painters, plasterer and electrician did their respective things. And then the painters wanted to wash out their brushes in the tub.

The cat was moved to the kitchen. Then he was moved back to the laundry. Eventually the tradesmen departed and he had the run of the place. He has inspected and sniffed every box, every piece of still-wrapped furniture, every cupboard.

I followed him around as he reacquainted himself with his former home. And then I saw the bushy black tail disappearing down through a hole in the floor that had been cut for the gas fitter to install a pipe. A nice little cat-sized hole that led somewhere down under the house.

The cat used to have a favourite resting spot somewhere in the basement - with a handy little hole in the foundations that allowed him to come and go. I had visions of him finding the gap and escaping to the great outdoors.

However, conditioning is a very useful tool. Years ago I used to rattle the packet of cat biscuits whenever I wanted to flush the cat out of his hiding places. He fell for it every time and, true to form, he re-emerged from the hole looking for a snack.

He slept on my bed last night, purring loudly whenever he stirred so I don't think it will be long before he can check out the garden and mark out his territory.

It is good for me, too, to reclaim my territory - my kitchen. I have had a few recipes that I have been wanting to try out, not the least some from the New Zealand Pork Industry Board - http://www.pork.co.nz. They recently sent me a booklet of recipes featuring the following simple but tasty dish. (Copies of the booklet Unbelievably Easy New Zealand Pork is available from their website and includes good general information on New Zealand pork).

Pork and Ginger Stir Fry

1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup cashew nuts
300g pork fillet, thinly sliced across grain
1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into strips
2 cups stir fry vegetables
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Sauce
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cornflour

Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan; add the cashew nuts and stir fry until golden. Remove and set aside.

Add stir fry vegetables and stir fry for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the pork and ginger and stir fry for five minutes.

Combine the sauce ingredients and stir into the mixture. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the cashew nuts.