Vietnamese Tamarind Pork Stir-Fry

This is a recipe I found in my "The Complete Meat Cookbook" by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly, posting (untried by me) for the ZWT event.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  tablespoon fish sauce
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1  tablespoon  chopped shallot (or green onions)
• 1  whole anchovy fillet, mashed to a paste
• 1  teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 1  tablespoon  peanut oil
• 1  medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 2  tablespoons fish sauce
• 8  green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1⁄2 cup fresh pineapple, diced (or canned)
• 2  tablespoons  chopped of fresh mint, for garnish

Directions

1. Flavor Step - Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and toss the pork strips in the marinade until they are well coated. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. Heat 1-1/2 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or heavy skillet over the highest heat. Stir-fry the red bell peppers for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Remove the meat from the marinade, saving the marinade.
4. Add the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons oil and the meat to the pan and stir-fry until the strips are just cooked through and no longer pink inside, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the reserved marinade, the fish sauce, green onions or scallions, pineapple, and the peppers and cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce coats the pork, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Spoon the meat and sauce into a bowl, sprinkle with the chopped mint, and serve.