SESAME PORK SALAD
This salad is a nice, light way to prepare and enjoy pork—the thin strips cook pretty quickly and then go over fresh, crisp lettuce or cucumber noodles. I love Asian flavors with pork, and I’m always trying to come up with salad ideas that aren’t boring, so this one is always welcome in my meal planning rotation. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes, plus 20 minutes to marinate
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
½ tablespoon chili oil
½ tablespoon fish sauce
½ onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pork cutlets, cut into strips
2 to 3 cups chopped romaine (or your favorite salad lettuce)
1 or 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnish
- In a large bowl, stir to combine the honey, sesame oil, coconut aminos, chili oil, fish sauce, onion, garlic, and pepper. Add the pork, and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron pan or skillet over high heat. Add the pork, and cook until seared on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Put the chopped lettuce in a large serving bowl, and top it with the cooked pork. Garnish with the sesame seeds, and serve.
VARIATION 1 SESAME PORK SALAD WITH CUCUMBER NOODLES: Use a spiralizer to make cucumber noodles, and serve the pork over that instead of lettuce. If you don’t have a spiralizer or vegetable peeler, you can julienne a cucumber with a knife.
VARIATION 2 SESAME PORK WITH SHREDDED CABBAGE: For a slightly stronger taste and more of a crunch, serve the pork over shredded cabbage instead of lettuce or cucumber noodles.
PREP TIP: Make an extra serving of marinade, and use it as salad dressing; just make sure it doesn’t go near the raw pork. Discard all marinades that have touched raw meat, as potentially dangerous bacteria can easily be transferred.
