We created our own asian-inspired comfort food. Easy and good, takes maybe 30-45 minutes end-to-end, unless you’re even more of a dork with your prep knife than I am, which is unlikely. My advice is, try it once and then figure out how you want to change the veggies or the proportions to suit your particular tastes.
- 1-1/2 lbs ground pork
- Can of water chestnuts, diced
- 3 medium carrots, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Maybe 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
- Chili oil – a drizzle or three (v. spicy)
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Salt and cracked black pepper
Put a pot on the stove, the sesame oil in the pot, the garlic in the oil. Medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Season the pork with salt and pepper, add to pot, brown it thoroughly but gently.
Add the carrots and red bell pepper, add a little soy and a little chili oil. Stir, cover and cook on medium-low for a few minutes.
Add the water chestnuts, stir, cover, and cook a few more minutes. Stop when it looks and tastes ready. Add soy and chili oil as you like it.
Works as a filling for pan-fried dumplings (which is a whole other level of kitchen mess), or scooped over rice as a main course, or served in lettuce wraps with bean sprouts.
The trick is to not overcook the pork. Keep the browning thorough but gentle, since it’s going to keep cooking for a bit after it’s browned.
Chessloser says take it easy on the salt.
(Three little piggies, part two will cover a latin american pork dish. Not sure about part three yet.)
Chessloser says take it easy on the salt.
The American diet is at the point where people are adding salt to their fast food french fries, for crying out loud.
A while back, a couple buddies and I went to a McDonald’s, got our burgers and fries, and started chowing down. They started dumping salt on their fries. “Um, you do realize you’re adding salt to McDonald’s french fries. Aren’t they salty enough already?” Apparently they weren’t.
That recipe sounds good, and when I get time (won’t be this week!) will have to try it.
So Derek… when are you having us over?
:)
sounds tasty…i bet you could throw some peanuts in there for extra crunch…
Egg – funny you should pick fries as your example – that’s essentially the ONLY food to which I add salt. (Of course, come to think of it, I rarely eat fast food any more, Yumtopia posts notwithstanding.)
Matt – ASAP! We can lock all the kids in the basement.
Chessloser – definitely. Some folks might try to find the right timing to toss in some mushrooms. Me, I don’t think there is EVER a right time for mushrooms…