Anyone else have a hoard of hungry people at midday during quarantine?
I am often tied up with the twins and school work and direct them all to sandwiches and salads, but if I can swing I hot meal the day feels a little bit..cozier? Food has definitely been our entertainment and comfort the past month. So when I saw an easy recipe for a pork and asparagus stir fry from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen fame I thought, I have all the ingredients. Let’s see if this recipe is a contender.
Approximately 30 minutes later, everyone drifted to the table by an irresistible smell from the aromatic garlic and ginger and soy sauce and gathered around the table (still so weird to have everyone home for lunch!). When they dove in the ooohs and ahhhs started. The flavor of the pork tastes like it was made in a restaurant thanks to the addition of sherry.
They dove in and the warm combo of rice and meat was like diving into hot Chinese delivery. But it tasted healthy too thanks to the abundance of veggies.
Deb (we’re on a first name basis now) originally made this with just asparagus but I love color and decided to add another element to the dish.
I usually make stir fry with lots of different veggies but I liked the simplicity of this dish. The blistering technique (see directions below) was easy and I’m going to do it in all stir fries henceforth (it’s a fancy word day I guess).
The main idea of this recipe was that family members could adjust how much heat they add to the dish by using chili crisp which is basically a condiment with red pepper flakes and crispy bits of garlic and shallots and ginger. Instead, I used this chili onion crunch oil I got at Trader Joes. The texture and the heat were, as you can imagine, delightful. If you don’t have anything like this, sriracha works just fine if you like heat.
This was super easy and delicious. Definitely a contender for our regular dinner (and now I guess lunch too) rotation.
Happy Eating! xoxo Katie
Pork, Asparagus and Red Pepper Stir Fry
INGREDIENTS
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4 tsp. peanut or vegetable oil, divided
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1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut on a diagonal into 1″–2″ pieces
- 1 large red pepper, cut into strips
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16 oz. ground pork
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6-8 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
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6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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2 2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
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4 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or medium-dry sherry
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4 Tbsp. soy sauce
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2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
RECIPE PREPARATION
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Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large skillet over high. Once pan is hot (oil will be lightly smoking), add asparagus and a couple pinches of salt and cook, tossing only once or twice so the pieces have a chance to blister, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a plate. Add 1 tsp. oil to skillet (no need to wipe it out) and repeat process with red pepper strips. Transfer to a plate.
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Reduce heat to medium-high; add remaining 1 tsp. oil to skillet, then add pork, spreading out into an even layer. Season with a couple pinches of salt and cook, undisturbed, until meat begins to brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Break up meat with a wooden spoon and add scallions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until pork is crisp and mixture is very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add wine and soy sauce and return asparagus to skillet. Cook, turning to coat with pork mixture, until heated through, about 1 minute.
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Transfer stir-fry to a platter or large shallow bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve with rice and chili crisp.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
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