Paleo caveman diet

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 (454 g) ground pork

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, and sauté until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini. Allow to cook down for another 5 minutes before adding the garlic.
3. 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.
4. 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 (30 ml) sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) 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!

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• Ginger Lime Pumpkin Seeds
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• Turkey Tacos

This ground pork stir-fry is the weeknight dinner I turn to when the fridge is full of vegetables and nobody wants to wash three pans. Everything cooks in one skillet: sweet peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini get a head start, then the pork browns right in the middle and soaks up the garlic and chili heat. It's on the table in about 25 minutes and endlessly adaptable to whatever produce you have.

Pro Tips

• Let the pork sit undisturbed for a minute or two before stirring — those browned, slightly crispy bits are where all the flavor lives.
• Cut the zucchini and bell pepper to roughly the same size so they cook evenly in the same window as the mushrooms.
• Ground chicken or turkey works in place of pork; just add a splash more oil since those are leaner.
• Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days and reheat beautifully in a hot skillet — skip the microwave to keep the vegetables from going soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make ground pork stir-fry ahead of time?

Yes. Cook it fully, cool it quickly, and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet for a couple of minutes so the pork re-crisps.

What vegetables work best in this stir-fry?

Onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini are the base, but broccoli florets, green beans, or shredded cabbage all slot in nicely. Keep the total volume about the same.

Is this recipe strict Paleo?

Yes — it's just meat, vegetables, spices, and cooking fat, with no dairy, grains, or soy. Serve it over cauliflower rice if you want more bulk.

How do I keep the vegetables from getting soggy?

Cook them in batches over medium heat and don't crowd the pan. Adding the garlic near the end also keeps it from steaming everything in its own moisture.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

GROUND PORK STIR-FRY

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• ½ onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 or 2 small zucchini, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb ground pork
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 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.

Method

 

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
2. Add the onion, and sauté until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini. Allow to cook down for another 5 minutes before adding the garlic.
4. Add the red pepper flakes, give it another stir, and serve hot.

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