GROUND PORK STIR-FRY
This is a great weeknight dinner idea using ground pork instead of ground beef, which I usually use. I call it a stir-fry, although it’s not very Asian in flavor—I guess you could call it a scramble, although there aren’t any eggs in it (unless you try the scramble variation). More than anything, it’s just a quick one-pot dish that makes cooking, serving, and cleanup as easy as possible. Like the veggie scramble in the egg chapter, you can add any and all vegetables to this one if you’re trying to use up something in your fridge. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
½ onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 or 2 small zucchini, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground pork
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, and sauté until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini. Allow to cook down for another 5 minutes before adding the garlic.
- Move all the sautéed vegetables to the outside edges of the pan, and put the ground pork in the middle. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the pieces, until the pork and the garlic begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir the vegetables into the center until everything is well mixed. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook until some of the pork begins to crisp up, about 5 minutes.
- Add the red pepper flakes, give it another stir, and serve hot.
VARIATION 1 STIR-FRY SCRAMBLE: Right before turning off the heat, crack 2 eggs into the pan and scramble them into the stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
VARIATION 2 CHICKEN SESAME STIR-FRY: Use ground chicken instead of pork (cook time should be about the same), and substitute sesame oil for the olive oil. Top with 1 or 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons sliced scallions for garnish. This gives the dish a mildly Asian character.
PREP TIP: Use this recipe to get rid of veggies that need to be used before they go bad or get too wilty. Add chopped broccoli, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, or squash—anything goes!
