Stir-fried Chinese Broccoli Leaves with Pork
Pad Kana Moo
Chinese broccoli stir-fried with pork, garlic, and chili in a light oyster sauce
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- medium
Pad Kana Moo is a straightforward, everyday stir-fry built around dark, slightly bitter Chinese broccoli — a vegetable similar to kale — cooked quickly with pork, garlic, and a touch of chili. The garlic and chili are crushed coarsely rather than minced, so visible pieces show up in the finished dish rather than disappearing into the sauce. The broccoli itself goes in only at the very end, cooked just long enough to soften slightly while staying vibrant, keeping the whole dish quick enough for a weeknight plate over rice.
Ingredients
- 7 stalks Chinese broccoli (stalks sliced thin diagonally, leaves cut larger)
- 1 1/3 cups Pork tenderloin (sliced)
- 7 Garlic cloves (coarsely crushed with the chili)
- 3 Thai hot chili (coarsely crushed with the garlic, optional)
- 5 1/3 tablespoons Oyster sauce
- 2 2/3 teaspoons Light soy sauce
- 2 2/3 teaspoons Sugar
- 5 1/3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
Directions
- Slice the Chinese broccoli stalks thin on a diagonal, cutting the leafy portion into larger pieces. Break up the garlic and chili with a mortar and pestle, keeping the pieces coarse rather than finely ground.
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chili and cook for a few seconds, stirring, then add the pork.
- Fry the pork and chili together, stirring constantly, until the pork is nearly cooked through.
- Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir well and fry until the sugar melts and the pan looks a little dry.
- Add the Chinese broccoli and stir in well. Cook for about 30 seconds, adding a small splash of water if it looks dry to deglaze the pan and build a light sauce. Don't overcook — there should only be a little sauce clinging to the meat and vegetables.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately, over rice with a chili fish sauce condiment for a one-dish meal, or in a shallow bowl as a side dish.
Notes
Crush the garlic and chili coarsely rather than mincing them fine — visible chunks in the finished dish are part of the traditional presentation, not an oversight.
Substitutions
Kale works well as a substitute if Chinese broccoli isn't available. Chicken breast can replace the pork tenderloin.