Sichuan Smoked Bacon Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chili-garlic paste (or sriracha)
• ½ tablespoon honey
• 6 ounces thick-cut bacon
• 1 medium bell pepper (red or yellow)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)
• 2 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 stalks scallions
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Pour soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic paste, and honey into a small bowl and stir with a spoon until the honey is fully dissolved and the mixture looks uniform and glossy.

2. 2

   Cut the bacon into pieces about the size of a postage stamp—roughly 0.5-inch wide and 1-inch long—working across the width of each bacon strip.

3. 3

   Stand the bell pepper upright on the cutting board, slice it in half lengthwise from stem to tip, discard the white inner core and seeds, then cut each half into 1-inch-wide strips.

4. 4

   Cut each broccoli floret in half lengthwise from the crown down through the stem so you have smaller, flat-sided pieces about 2 inches long.

5. 5

   Place the Sichuan peppercorns and red pepper flakes (if using) on a cutting board and use the flat side of a knife to press down and crush them into smaller pieces about the size of sesame seeds.

6. 6

   Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots—by placing each clove flat, pressing down with the knife heel to crack it, then slicing and chopping.

7. 7

   Cut each scallion crosswise (perpendicular to its length) into pieces about 0.5 inches long, separating the white and light green parts from the dark green tops into two piles.

8. 8

   Place the 14-inch wok or large skillet over medium heat and wait about 2 minutes for the cooking surface to feel hot when you hold your hand an inch above it.

9. 9

   Add the bacon pieces and stir constantly with a wooden spatula for 4–5 minutes until most of the bacon turns brown and crispy and has rendered its fat into the pan.

10. 10

    Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a small plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the bottom of the wok.

11. 11

    Increase the heat to medium-high and wait 30 seconds, then add the minced garlic and crushed Sichuan peppercorns and stir for 20–30 seconds until the garlic turns light golden and fills the wok with a strong fragrant aroma.

12. 12

    Add the bell pepper strips and broccoli florets to the wok in one handful and immediately begin stirring constantly with the wooden spatula, pushing everything against the hot wok surface.

13. 13

    Stir and toss continuously for 4–5 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green with tender-crisp stems (when you bite one it snaps but has no tough center) and the peppers look slightly wrinkled at the edges.

14. 14

    Pour the sauce into the wok in a thin stream while stirring constantly with the wooden spatula, coating every piece of vegetable for about 1 minute until glossy and fragrant.

15. 15

    Return the bacon pieces to the wok and stir for 30 seconds to warm them and distribute the sauce throughout.

16. 16

    Drizzle the 0.5 teaspoon of sesame oil over the top of the stir-fry and stir once to distribute it.

17. 17

    Divide the stir-fry between two serving bowls or plates.

18. 18

    Scatter the white and light green scallion pieces evenly over the top of each bowl as garnish.

Tools you’ll need

• 14-inch wok or 12-inch skillet
• wooden spatula
• cutting board
• chef's knife
• small bowl
• spoon
• slotted spoon
• small plate

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