Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Sweet-and-Sour Pork Stir-Fry

I would like to preface this by saying that my husband is a HUGE fan of pork.  And I'm not talking lean, white-meat pork tenderloin.  I mean good, old-fashioned fatty delicious pork shoulder.  Well, that's not exactly healthy or on my list of resolutions for the year, so we weren't going to be eating that tonight.  But just because we are trying to be healthy doesn't mean that we have to eat boring, bland food all the time.  This dish is super flavorful and still light! 
From the looks of it, it might seem like there's a lot of chopping to do as prep work, but this picture is deceiving.  I actually was able to prep the entire dish is about 15 minutes, all while the baby was napping, and the actual cooking only took about another 15 minutes!  I must confess that I had brown rice leftover from the casserole I had made the other night, so all I had to do was warm that up.  The flavors of this dish are pretty classic -- sweet pineapple, crisp-tender chunks of pepper, and a slightly thickened sauce of soy and pineapple juice coating lovely vegetables and caramelized chunks of pork.  Sounds complicated, but it's so simple -- definitely a great weeknight meal!  Leftovers, if you have any, reheat very nicely, too.  I bet this would be good with a little bit of chopped fresh ginger and/or garlic cooked up with the vegetables as well.  Enjoy the deliciousness!

Sweet-and-Sour Pork Stir-Fry
8 ounce can pineapple chunks in juice, juice reserved
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch chunks
10 ounce package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
cooked brown rice for serving

In a small bowl, stir together pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup water.  Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  cook pork, in two batches, until well browned (pork will cook more later).  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
To skillet, add scallion whites and bell peppers, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until peppers are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes.
Add pork, along with any accumulated juices, broccoli, and pineapple chunks.  Whisk sauce and add to skillet.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until broccoli is warmed through, about 4 minutes.  Stir in scallion greens and serve with rice.
Adapted from Martha Stewart
per serving (without rice): 294 calories, 11.1 grams fat, 26.6 grams protein, 21.1 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber

2 comments:

  1. This sounds great and I love that it is 'ass friendly'! :-)

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  2. Thank you so much for sharing this sweet and sour Pork Stir Fry. I think when I cook it my family will eat plenty because pork is one of their favorite. Keep on sharing this one.

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