Spicy Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry

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Add some sizzle to your dinner tonight with this Spicy Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry! Quick and easy to make, perfect for a busy weeknight meal.

 

I love stir fries. Don’t you love stir fries? I mean, they’re so easy and quick to throw together. Especially if you have this gluten free stir fry sauce on hand. You can pretty much make them out of anything. ANYTHING! They don’t even have to be Asian inspired. But this Spice Pork and Pepper Stir Fry is Asian inspired. In case you couldn’t figure that out. And I love serving them with no egg fried rice.

 

Stir-fry for me is a cooking method.  It doesn’t have to be Asian, but this one does have Asian flavors in there.  For the busiest of weeknights, a fun and delicious stir-fry recipe can make or break a busy family dinner.  This one is simple to make with regular pantry ingredients with farmer’s market fresh peppers and pork.

 

 

What is a Stir-Fry?

At its core, a stir-fry is a dish made by quickly cooking small, uniform pieces of food in a hot pan.  They are usually cooked in a wok, with a little bit of oil. A wok is a pan with a round bottom and sloping sides, perfect for tossing ingredients.  The technique originated in China but has since become popular throughout Asia and beyond. The hallmark of stir-fry is its speed.  The high heat and fast movement help lock in flavor, color, and nutrients.  This makes stir-fry dinners as beautiful as they are tasty.

How Many Different Types of Bell Peppers Are There?

Bell peppers bring both flavor and color to stir-fries. My grocery store only sells you’re typical green, red, yellow, and orange.  But did you know there are also purple, brown, and even white bell peppers? I was lucky enough to see these beauties in person at a farmer’s market in DC. 

Each color offers a slightly different taste profile.  Green peppers are a bit grassy and crisp.  Red, yellow, and orange are sweeter and milder. The white was very mild and sweet, and the brown tasted more like a green bell pepper.  The purple had a taste that is a combination of a green and orange.

 

Benefits of Farmer’s Market Fresh Ingredients

 

Freshness makes all the difference in a stir-fry. Crisp bell peppers and bright green onions ensure that every bite pops with flavor and texture.  Using fresh pork purchased at a farm market provides the freshest of meat that will be tender and delicious.  Fresh vegetables retain their crunch, while the meat cooks quickly and stays juicy. Using fresh ingredients also means you get more vitamins and antioxidants.  This makes your stir-fry as healthy as it is delicious.

 

When it comes to buying pork from the market, not all cuts are created equal for stir-frying. Pork tenderloin is a favorite because it is lean, tender, and is easily sliced into thin strips. Pork shoulder, also called pork butt, can work well too.  However, you should trim away excess fat.  And make sure to slice it thinly against the grain. The key is to choose a cut that cooks quickly and stays tender.

 

Tips for Prepping Your Bell Peppers

 

Start by washing your peppers thoroughly. Cut off the top and bottom.  From here there are two methods to remove the core and seeds.  One is to stand the pepper upright, and slice straight down the sides to remove the core and seeds. The other is to lay is to flatten the pepper out on the cutting board and run your knife, horizontally, over the pepper to remove the member and seeds.  For stir-fry, I always cut the peppers into thin strips.  This ensures that they cook quickly and locks in all that farm fresh flavor and color.

Ingredients to Make this Spicy Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry Recipe

Like I said, this recipe has just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

Pantry ingredients – cornstarch, soy sauce, chicken broth, rice vinegar, sweet chile sauce, crushed red pepper, cooking oil (sunflower, peanut, or canola)

Refrigerator ingredients – pork, onion, bell peppers, green onion

Instructions for Making this Pork Stir-Fry Recipe

Prep all your ingredients before heating the pan.  This cooks up quick and stopping to chop something may throw the whole recipe off.  So, prep all your ingredients before you start heating your wok or pan.  Combine the thinly sliced pork with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Let the pork marinate for 20 minutes.  Combine the chicken stock with the remaining cornstarch and soy sauce, rice vinegar, chile sauce, and crushed red pepper.

Heat your wok or skillet over high heat until it’s almost smoking. Make sure to use a cooking oil that has a high smoking point.  Meaning, it can handle high heat cooking and won’t burn.  Stir-fry the pork first.  Cook it until browned and mostly cooked through. Remove and set aside.   

Add a bit more oil to the pan and add the onions and bell peppers to the pan and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until just tender but still crisp.  Return the pork to the pan.  Lower the heat to medium-high before pouring in the chicken broth mixture.  Bring to a boil and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with the sliced green onions.

Tips for Perfecting the Stir-Fry

The higher the heat the better.  It keeps ingredients crisp and prevents steaming which makes your stir-fry soggy and not ideal for a stir-fry.  Also, don’t overcrowd the pan.  If you put too much food in the pan, it lowers the temperature which leads to soggy stir-fry. Cook in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding the pan.

Cut everything to a uniform side.   Evenly cut ingredients ensure everything cooks at the same rate.  That is why I sliced the pork into strips because the peppers are cut into strips.  If I cut the peppers into cubes, then I’d but the pork into cubes.  You get the idea. 

Prep everything ahead of time!  Once you get started you can’t really pause to chop some veggies or measure out ingredients for a sauce.  That’s why these are great when prepped on the weekends.  You can create your own “meal kit” by having everything ready to go when your pan is smoking hot.  Finally, taste everything.  Maybe you want more soy sauce or more chile sauce.  Make sure the sauce matches your family’s flavor profile.

Serving Up Your Delicious Pork Stir-Fry Recipe

I always love serving my stir-fry with some cooked rice.  Sometimes I enjoy serving them up with some ramen or rice noodles.  The rice noodles can be flat like linguine or thin like angel hair.  Both are fun and delicious for a stir-fry meal.  My husband likes an extra drizzle of soy sauce on his stir-fry.  I enjoy a little drizzle of sesame seed oil. 

Of course, I must have egg rolls.  It’s almost a requirement when I make a stir-fry.  But I have yet to make egg rolls from scratch.  There’s a recipe, but I just haven’t made them.  I have been craving them so they might end up on the blog soon.  Until then, I am enjoying the Pagoda brand frozen egg rolls.  They have the best flavor of all the brands we have at your local grocery store.

I know. I’m drooling, too. The pork, the peppers, the rice. The slightly spicy sauce all tying the ingredients together. This recipe really does allow the market fresh bell peppers sing. They are super sweet and crispy. I added in some water chestnuts and baby corn. They’re almost a requirement when I have a stir-fry. Add whatever veggies you want. It’s your stir-fry.

More Farmer’s Market Recipes:

• Cherry Almond Cobbler by Magical Ingredients
• Golden Beet Soup by Art of Natural Living
• Grilled Vegetable Platter by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Italian Sausage and Roasted Vegetables by Blogghetti
• One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Raspberry Freezer Jam by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Skillet Gnocchi with Pesto & Summer Veggies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Smoked Turkey, Hummus and Veggie Wraps by A Little Fish in the Kitchen