Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry with Celery

A quick, savory stir-fry where thinly sliced pork gets a glossy, garlicky sauce alongside crisp celery and sweet peppers. The key is high heat and keeping everything moving so the vegetables stay bright and crunchy.

Ingredients

• soy sauce – 3 tablespoons
• oyster sauce – 1 tablespoon
• cornstarch – 1 teaspoon
• sesame oil – 1 teaspoon
• granulated sugar – 1 teaspoon
• red pepper flakes – ¼ teaspoon

• pork tenderloin or boneless pork chops, thinly sliced against the grain – 1 lb
• cornstarch (for coating) – 1 tablespoon
• neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola), divided – 3 tablespoons
• garlic, minced – 4 cloves
• yellow onion, thinly sliced – 1 medium
• celery, sliced on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces – 3 stalks
• sweet bell peppers (any color), thinly sliced – 2 medium

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients — soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, sugar, and red pepper flakes — until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced pork with 1 tablespoon cornstarch until each piece is lightly coated. This helps the pork brown rather than steam and gives the sauce something to cling to.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the pork in a single layer — don't crowd it — and let it sear undisturbed for 90 seconds until golden on one side. Toss and cook another minute, then transfer to a plate. The pork doesn't need to be fully cooked through yet.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan. Add the garlic and onion and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until the onion is slightly softened and the garlic is fragrant but not burned.
5. Add the celery and bell peppers. Stir-fry over high heat for 2–3 minutes, keeping things moving, until the vegetables are tender-crisp — you want them to still have a little bite.
6. Return the pork to the pan. Give the sauce a quick stir and pour it over everything. Toss continuously for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats everything in a glossy glaze and the pork is fully cooked through. Serve immediately over steamed rice.