Korean-Style Pork Stir-Fry With Pickled Cucumber

Add your pork strips to a small bowl with half of your soy sauce (you'll use the rest later!) and set aside to marinate

Cut your cucumber in half lengthways, scrape out the inner seeds with a teaspoon and discard, then finely slice

Combine the sliced cucumber, rice vinegar and 1 tsp [1.5 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar in a bowl

Mix well and set aside – this is your pickled cucumber

Boil half a kettle

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

Peel and slice your shallot[s] finely

Dissolve your chicken stock mix in 120ml [155ml] [205ml] boiled water

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add your marinated pork and cook for 7-8 min or until browned and tender and the pork is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Once done, transfer the pork strips to a plate to rest

Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Once hot add the sliced shallot and cook for 1-2 min or until softened

Meanwhile, peel and grate your apple[s]

Once softened, add your ginger and garlic paste, grated apple and your mirin and cook for 2-3 min or until the apple starts to soften

Add the chicken stock and cook for 2-3 min further or until the sauce has thickened a little

Stir through the rested pork strips and the remaining soy sauce and cook for 1 min further or until warmed through – this is your Korean-style pork stir-fry