Twice Cooked Pork with Spicy Vegetables

1/2 pound pork butt, in one piece
5 each mushrooms
2 each small dried red chili pepper
2 each large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger root, minced
1 each small bell pepper
1/4 cup bamboo shoots
1 each large carrot
1 each cube bean curd
1/3 cup mushroom liquid
1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
1 pinch sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
cornstarch paste, as required

In saucepan, cover pork butt with water, bring to a boil & simmer for 30 minutes. Add more hot water if level goes below pork. Cool pork in its cooking water.

Wash, then soak mushrooms in warm water for 1 hour. Squeeze liquid from mushrooms, reserving liquid. Discard mushroom stems, and halve mushrooms.

Halve, seed & core bell pepper; cut into pieces about 1 inch by 1 1/2 inches. Slice bamboo to match bell pepper. Peel carrot; slice on bias into ovals.

Remove pork from cooking water, & parboil carrots in water for 1 minute. Slice 2/3 of pork butt into rectangles same size as bell pepper. Save remaining 1/3 for another dish.

Strain mushroom liquid; combine specified amount with soy sauce, sugar & salt. Drain bean curd, rinse in cold water, and slice same size as bell pepper. stir fry:

Add oil to very hot wok. When oil begins to smoke, stir fry mushrooms, garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add bell pepper, bamboo shoots, carrots & pork; stir fry for 1 minute. Add bean curd & mushroom liquid; bring to boil.

On medium heat, cover wok & cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until bell pepper is bright green & crisp. Push ingredients up side of wok.

Restir thick cornstarch paste, then dribble into liquid until it thickens; cook briefly while stirring. Recombine with ingredients.

Serves 4.