Quick & Easy Pork Loin Stir Fry

Yummy marinated pork stir fried with assorted vegetables makes this an amazing dinner entrée. Great way to increase the veggies in your diet. Made with a flavorful, homemade stir fry sauce makes this a healthy choice free of extra additives too!

Quick & Easy Pork Loin Stir Fry

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 – 1 1⁄2 pounds pork loin, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh, grated
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups pea pods, halved
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, 1“ florets (~ 1 1/2 cups)
Vegetable or olive oil

Sauce:

One jar Stir fry sauce

or

1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Equipment needed:

Cutting board
Chef knife
Measuring spoons
Liquid and dry measuring cups
Medium mixing bowl
Wok or large skillet
Bamboo or rubber spatula

Ingredient pic

I love stir fry dishes full of fresh vegetables! Especially when the summer garden is producing lots too! This dish is so versatile as you can substitute any fresh vegetables in season. The first time I made this dish was for my Foods 3 class. It was a pork unit and I wanted to allow students the freedom to create their own dish. I always demonstrated the technique the day before cooking and this dish is what I created. All the students loved the samples and few substitutions were made the following day they cooked. So much for giving them freedom to choose. I have substituted cauliflower, assorted sweet peppers and occasionally summer squash or zucchini. They are all great! I love the homemade sauce too! Not all the mystery preservatives as in store bought varieties... with amazing flavor. Grab your cutting board and wok and let’s make stir fry!

First step….

1) Marinating the meat is what adds tremendous flavor to the finished dish. Buying a larger pork loin is an inexpensive way to purchase pork. One 4-pound loin can make 2 – 3 meals for your family. When I purchased this loin, I cut about 1/3 off for the stir fry and used the second portion for a stuffed pork loin dish... for a later post! Cut the pork loin into 1 – 1 1⁄2 inch slices and then cut the slices into cubes. Place the cubes into a medium mixing bowl along with the garlic, ginger, red pepper and soy sauce to marinate for 20 minutes. This will give you enough time to prepare the rest of your vegetables too!

2) If you are making rice, now is the time to place 2 cups of water with one cup of rice in a saucepan with a pinch or two of salt. Cover and bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit, covered, until the stir fry is ready!

Initial Prep…

3) The cutting of the vegetables is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. Meal appeal is great with the varying shapes, sizes and colors... as well as the aromas created.

4) After the pork is marinated, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet or wok. Drain the marinate from the pork and heat the oil until it starts to shimmer. Add the pork and cook the meat while stirring until it browns. I know you won’t know if it is “done” ... but it will cook a bit later and you don’t want it over cooked and dried out. Remove meat to a plate and set aside for later.

Next step is to cook the vegetables…

5) Start with the ones that will take longer to cook. Add another couple tablespoons of oil to the hot wok with the second 2 minced cloves of garlic. Add the sliced carrots and onions and stir fry for about 2 – 3 minutes. Next add the broccoli, pea pods and continue to stir and fry for another few minutes. Last addition are the sliced mushrooms. The mushrooms don’t take long to cook either.. only a couple minutes more!

6) After veggies are added and colors are vibrant, add the meat back in and stir together. As the meat heats back up, measure out the sauce ingredients in a liquid measuring cup and stir well.

**Remember... corn starch is a thickener and is always added to a cold liquid so it doesn’t clump together and will actually thicken the sauce as it heats up.

Dinner is ready!!

Look at those colors! Isn’t it amazing and that smell is calling you to ‘eat it now’! Spoon some rice onto a plate or in a shallow bowl... add pork and vegetables on top. Grab a pair of chop sticks... Enjoy!