Stir-Fry of Hoisin Lamb with Cashews and Snowpeas

Though not usually found in the typical local Chinese takeout menu, you have to try this pairing of tender lamb and sweet and savory hoisin sauce with the crunch of water chestnuts and fresh snow peas. Lamb is one of the hallmarks of northern Chinese cooking, especially Mongolia. It is logical when you think of the vast steppes of the region where sheep and goats thrive when little else will.

This recipe speaks of the new China, where regions sometimes fuse. Here Mongolia's lamb and southern China's beloved hoisin sauce meet with the Cantonese stir-fry.

Cook to Cook: See The Rhythm of a Stir-Fry before putting the wok on the stove. Set out your ingredients for each section of the recipe, tossing the lamb with its flavorings and blending together the sauce ingredients. Once you start cooking, nothing takes more than 2 minutes.  

Five-spice powder is found in many supermarkets. If unavailable, use anise or fennel seed.

Tender beef is good here, too.

The Lamb:

• 1 to 1-1/4 pounds tender lamb (lamb steaks are ideal), trimmed of fat and connective tissue, and cut into 1/2-inch by 1-inch chunks (organic if possible)

• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, or 1/2 teaspoon anise or fennel seed, bruised

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

• 1 tablespoon dry red or white wine

Vegetables:

• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch dice

• 1/2 cup water chestnuts, quartered or sliced

• 1 handful snowpea pods, trimmed

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce:  

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons rice wine or white wine

Stir-Fry:

• 3 tablespoons cold-pressed vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup salted cashews, roughly broken

1. Measure out, cut, and group together each section's ingredients. In a bowl toss the lamb with its seasonings so it is thoroughly coated. Have the ginger and garlic ready to go into the wok, and have the onion, water chestnuts, and snowpeas piled on a piece of paper towel ready to go. In a small bowl blend the sauce ingredients. With this lineup, the stir-fry will easily come together in a few minutes. 

2. Set a 14- to 16-inch wok or a straight-sided 12-inch sauté pan over high heat. When it is hot, swirl in 1/2 of the vegetable oil. Add the lamb and stir-fry it 90 seconds. Spread out the lamb as you cook it so all its sides sear. Immediately remove the lamb to a clean bowl. Wipe out the pan with a thick wad of paper towels.

3. Heat the pan again over high. Swirl in the other 1-1/2 tablespoons oil. Stir in the ginger and the garlic. Stir them until fragrant (maybe 5 seconds), sprinkling with the salt. Immediately add the vegetables. Stir-fry 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture to the wok, and continue stir-frying another 90 seconds.  

4. Turn the lamb into the wok, and stir-fry for about 10 seconds to heat it  through. Stir in the cashews and turn the dish into a serving bowl. Serve immediately

Variation: Five-Spice Lamb Kebabs with Tart Garlic Dipping Sauce

Cut the 1 to 1-1/4 pounds of lamb into 1-inch pieces. Marinate it in the spices from above with a few tablespoons of oil for 30 minutes to overnight. Thread the meat onto skewers, and grill or broil the meat to medium rare.

Serve the kebabs with a dipping sauce of chopped garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and Asian sesame oil.