XO Sauce Ice Plant Stir Fry with Pork
Aeroveg Ice Plant sautéed in punchy XO sauce with tender sliced pork — a quick Singapore-style stir fry that's savoury, slightly smoky, and on the table in 20 minutes.
XO sauce is one of Singapore's most beloved condiments — briny, smoky, and deeply umami from its base of dried scallop and shrimp. Paired with Aeroveg Ice Plant, whose delicate water-crystal cells carry a gentle natural saltiness and stay satisfyingly crisp under high heat, the result is a stir fry that is far more than the sum of its parts. This is weeknight cooking at its best.
Method
- Marinate the pork. Toss sliced pork with soy sauce and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes while you prep everything else.
- Heat the wok. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over high heat until just smoking.
- Sear the pork. Add pork in a single layer. Sear for 1–2 minutes until golden, then toss and cook 1 minute more. Push to one side.
- Fry the aromatics. Add garlic and XO sauce to the empty side of the wok. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Combine and sauce. Toss pork with the aromatics. Add oyster sauce and 2 tbsp water. Stir well.
- Add the Ice Plant. Add Aeroveg Ice Plant stems first, tossing for 1 minute, then add the leaves and tips. Toss for 30 seconds — just enough to warm through while keeping the crystal texture intact.
- Finish and serve. Drizzle with sesame oil, plate immediately, and serve over steamed jasmine rice.
Aeroveg Ice Plant carries its own natural mineral saltiness from the tiny liquid-filled cells covering its surface — taste before adding any extra salt or soy. Add it at the very end of cooking and keep it moving in the wok: 30–45 seconds is all you need. Overcook it and you lose both the crunch and the crystals.