Healthy Pork Stir Fry

Pork Stir Fry

Even though meats such as beef and pork are used along with a small amount of oil in stir frying, it is still considered to be a healthy cooking method.  The fat used in stir fry is very minimal and the ideal proteins especially pork chop are very lean.   Pork chops if added to vegetables in stir frying makes a complete and filling meal that can be easily and quickly prepared in a wok or large skillet. 

Prepare you meat by removing the pork chops from their packaging and pat it dry using paper towels. Cut any excess fat from around the edges of the pork using a sharp knife on a cutting board.  Cut the pork chops into one fourth to one half inch strips.  Your meat is now ready for stir frying. You can either marinade it according to your recipe or simple stir fry it and mix it with the ingredients of your recipe. Let us do a simple recipe here for pork chops.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tangelos, such as Minneola’s or Honey bells
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil, choose toasted and pls. divide
• 1 pound pork boneless pork chops, pls. trim and cut into thin strips
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, pls. choose reduced sodium type
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

PROCEDURE:

• Start by preparing the ingredients for the stir fry.  Remove the zest from tangelos in long strips by using a peeler.  Then cut the strips lengthwise into very thin pieces.  Then cut the tangelos in half and squeeze enough juice from them to get one half cup.   Prepare the other ingredients then.
• To begin frying, heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat on your American stove.  Swirl in two teaspoons of oil and then add the pork chop slices and cook by stirring until just cooked for about two to three minutes. Transfer to a plate and reserve.
• Add the remaining one teaspoon oil to the pan along with shallots, ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper and the zest.  Cook by stirring for a minute. Then continue to add bell peppers and celery. Continue to cook by stirring constantly until the veggies are crisp-tender for about two minutes. 
• Then stir in the tangelo juice and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Let it cook for one minute more.
• Then whisk the vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl and then pour it into the pan along with the pork and its juices.
• Stir often and continue to cook until the sauce thickens and bubbling while the pork is heated through for about a minute.
• Then you can transfer the dish to a serving plate and enjoy it while it is hot with hot steaming rice.
• This pork stir fry which easy and fun to do in your own kitchens.  Have a happy cooking day to everyone out there.  

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

Per serving:

• 222 calories; 6 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 74 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 3 g fiber; 346 mg sodium; 665 mg potassium.
• Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (220% daily value), Selenium (56% dv), Vitamin A (40% dv), Potassium (16% dv), Zinc (15% dv).

 You can also visit here to learn on how to cook Pork Stir Fry.

On Stir Frying Vegetables

We are always trying to eat more vegetables, more greens.  A quick stir fry is one of the fastest, easiest, tastiest ways to make a last minute vegetable side dish to suit any meal.  Romaine lettuce leaves, warm and slightly wilted, tumbled in a sauce of garlic and chillies.  After that – the same recipe and method but this time with halved baby bok choy.  We could not stop eating either of these.  Here is a recipe and a stir fry technique that any of us can take into our kitchens and adapt to just about any vegetable we find in the ref.  The technique for a vegetable stir fry is the same no matter which vegetables you use.  This stir fry of romaine lettuce (and the second of baby bok choy) can just as easily be made with red peppers and mushrooms, asparagus and snow peas, or bok choy and green beans.

The Basics of stir frying vegetables starts with; don’t crowd the pan, stick to no more than four cups of chopped hard or medium hard vegetables or eight to twelve cups chopped leafy greens in a 14-inch wok in order to avoid crowding the pan. A saute pan is fine for some stir frying, but not great for greens like in this recipe; it’s simply not deep enough to hold greens the way a wok does.

Dry the vegetables.  When stir frying anything from snow peas to lettuce, it’s important that the vegetables are very dry.  Otherwise, the vegetables will steam and braise in the pan and lose their crisp texture.  Giving the vegetables a whirl in a salad spinner is the easiest solution, but you can also pat them thoroughly with kitchen towels.  All stir frying is quick, but stir fry of just vegetables goes even quicker.  Don’t walk away from the stove or pause to answer a text.  Once the oil is in the pan, a stir fry needs your full attention.  For two to three minute recipes, we think we can handle that.

1.    STIR FRIED LETTUCE  (or baby bok choy) with garlic chillies:

Stir Fry Vegetables

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium head of romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1 inch wide pieces, about 8 cups. Or  8 to 12 cups of baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise.

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp dry sherry or Shao Hsing rice wine
• 1 tbsp chicken broth
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce.

For AROMATICS:

• 3 medium cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp minced jalapeno chillies, with seeds (optional)
• 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

HOW TO PREPARE:

• Cut up the ingredients.  It is very important that all the ingredients are cut as directed in the ingredient list.  The most important key to making a good stir fry is cutting each ingredient to a uniform size as specified above.  Cut the vegetables and set them aside in a bowl.  Cut the aromatics and set them aside as well.
• In a small bowl, combine the sherry (or rice wine), broth and soy sauce.
• Set the bowl of vegetables, aromatics, and sauce near your stove.  Also have a very small bowl of water next to the stove. 
• Heat the wok.  Turn on the stove burner, as high as it will go.  Set a 14 inch wok over the high heat burner.  To determine when the wok is hot enough, start flicking droplets of water from the small bowl into the pan after 30 seconds.  As soon as bead of water evaporates within 1 top 2 seconds of contact, the wok is heated and ready to stir fry.  Do not overheat the wok.
• Pull the wok off the heat and add 1 tbsp of oil.  Pick up the pan and carefully swirl it to coat the bottom and sides.  (If the wok smokes wildly the moment you add the oil you’ve overheated the wok.  Remove the wok from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.  When it’s cool enough to handle carefully remove the oil with paper towels, wash the wok, and start again.)
• Add the aromatics to the wok.  Put the wok back on the heat. Add the garlic and chillies (if using), and stir fry them for 10 seconds or until fragrant.  
• Push the garlic up the sides of the wok and add the lettuce or bok choy, or whatever else you’re using.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over top
• From this time on, the vegetables will cook for 2 to 2 ½ minutes. 
• Stir fry for I minute or until the lettuce or vegetables begin to wilt. 
• Pour the sauce mixture around and down the sides of the pan instead of directly into the center to prevent from cooling the pan and lowering the cooking temperature. Stir fry and toss to coat lettuce.  Cook for another 30 to 60 seconds and serve hot.

If your are interested, Check our other latest Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe here.

Stir Fry Recipes for the Home Manager

Common kitchen managers are the wives of the American family.  As a salute to the American Wife, the Home Manager, here are a few recipes that can ease the long hours of kitchen food preparation at home and yet provide the awesome dish the family desires. 

1.    BEEF AND PEPPER SKILLET DINNER

Stir Fry Recipe 

When you finally make it home after work, you want something hearty that can be made from ingredients on hand.  This stir fry, with its zippy sauce, is the answer.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 onions
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil
• ¾ pound (349gms) stir fry beef strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

SAUCE:

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
• ½ tsp dried rosemary
• ¼ salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

HOW TO PREPARE:

• In a small bowl, whisk together beef stock, vinegar cornstarch, paprika, thyme, Worchestershire Sauce, rosemary, salt, pepper and cayenne, and set aside.
• Cut onions, in half lengthwise, then slice lengthwise into thin strips.  Seed and cut red and green peppers into thin strips.  Set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over high heat; stir fry beef and garlic for about 2 minutes or until meat is browned but still pink inside.  Transfer to plate. 
• Add the remaining oil to the skillet, cook onions and red and green peppers, stirring often, for 4 minutes or just until starting to soften.  Pour in sauce, cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes or until well coated and heated through.  Pour over beef on the plate and served while it is hot.

2.    STEAK AND HARVEST VEGETABLE FAJITAS (Serves four persons).

Stir Fry Vegetables

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 12 oz (340 gms) beef stir fry strips
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 sweet red pepper, sliced
• 1 zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced.
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp (10ml) chili powder
• ½ tsp (2 ml) salt
• ¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cumin
• ½ cup (125ml) salsa
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 8 large flour tortillas

HOW TO PREPARE:

• In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat, stir fry beef, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned but still pink inside.  Transfer to plate.
• Add onion and carrots to the skillet, cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened.  Add red pepper, zucchini, garlic, chili powder, salt and cumin, cook for 3 minutes or until tender crisp.
• Add salsa, lime juice and hot pepper sauce.  Return beef and any accumulated juices to pan, cook for 1 minutes or until hot. 
• Meanwhile, stack tortillas and wrap in foil; bake in 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warmed. Wrap beef mixture in tortillas, serve hot.
• Enjoy your special meals this season.  Life is good after all.

 Still craving for Vegetarian stir fry recipe? Surf  here.