蒜苗臘肉 (Stir Fry Chinese Ham with Leeks)

Today is  January 16th in the lunar calendar -- the day after the lantern festival.  It is a bit late to post this traditional Chinese New Year dish... so maybe for the next year.

When I was young,  every household in Taiwan made sausages and hams (香腸，臘肉) for Chinese New Year.  I remember that I helped my mom to prepare the sausages by stuffing marinated pork chunks into intestines, tie them up into small segments and hang them up using bamboo sticks to dry.  Nowadays,  you can buy prepackaged sausages and  hams all year long, so you don't need to wait for Chinese New Year to enjoy this traditional new year dishes.

Ingredients:

• Chinese ham -- half package (there are several brands in the Chinese market, I usually buy 新東陽湖南臘肉）
• one carrot
• half bundle of Chinese leek (青蒜）－this is usually only available in the Chinese market during new year time.  If you can't find it, use American leeks instead.
• 2-3 dried red peppers

Steps:

1.  Slice chinese ham into thin slices.  If it is too tough to cut, steam it for 10 minutes and slice it when it is cool.  
2. Cut the carrots into thin slices.  To make the slices look pretty (like the diamond shape in the  picture to the right).  You first cut the carrots into one-inch segments in 45 degree angle.  Then you turn the segment flat side down and slice it along the long side.  
3.  Chinese leeks are thinner than the American leeks (see picture to the right), but it has stronger garlic flavor.  Split the stem in half by cutting along the stem, then slice them diagonally into thin strips. 
4. Cut the red peppers into strips
5. Heat three table spoon vegetable oil in a wok, put in carrots and red peppers and a half tea spoon salt and stir fry them until carrots are tender.  Note the ham may be salty, taste it first.  If it is very salty,  don't add salt at all.
6. Add ham and mix it with carrots well.  If the ham is steamed first, you only need to cook them for a minute or so, if not, stir fry until the ham is cooked, may be 2-3 minutes.  Add a tea spoon of light soy sauce and a tea spoon of sugar for flavor.  
7. Add leeks at the end and mix them well until the leeks are soft.  Do not over cook leeks.  

Happy Chinese New Year!