Spicy Pork Stir Fry

M and I really needed something different for dinner.  We eat a lot of chicken and seafood.  We actually don't eat too much red meat but that is really only because we aren't allowed to have a grill where we live.  And steak is at it's best when it's grilled.  Am I right?  We do also eat pork but it is always chops or a pork loin.  Both are very tasty but we were really looking for something different.  And lo and behold, M finds a recipe for a spicy pork stir fry.  Sold!

Now, this recipe again comes from Emeril's cookbook.  Let me explain something about M; he has a small crush on Emeril.  Emeril Live is about the only cooking show he will watch (besides the occasional Iron Chef America).  When Emeril was on Iron Chef this past holiday season in a special episode, he said for days after it was rigged because Emeril lost out to the White House chef who was teamed with Bobby Flay.  M also insists that we must always have Emeril's Essence in our spice cabinet and if M is cooking, you can bet that it is seasoned with the Essence.  It is actually endearing and really when it comes to great food, who cares where it came from.  I am pretty confident in saying that this will not be the last recipe from this cookbook.

Spicy Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans

Adapted from 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast by Emeril Lagasse

This recipe calls for ground pork which we thought was awesome.  If you have trouble finding ground pork in your grocery store, ground chicken or turkey would be just as delicious.

3 tbsp soy sauce

freshly ground pepper

1lb ground pork

1/4 cup chicken stock

3 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 to 3/4 lb fresh green beans, trimmed

2 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 tsp sesame oil

white or brown rice

green onions, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, freshly ground pepper, and the pork.  Mix well with your hands (your hands are your best tool) and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, hoisin sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, cornstarch and the last tablespoon of soy sauce.  You are basically making the sauce for the stir fry.  It also works as a thickener since there is cornstarch in it (thus also making it sort of a slurry).

Heat a large saute pan (or wok if you have it - I do but chose not to use it) over high heat.  Add the vegetable oil and once the oil gets hot, add the green beans and stir around a lot.  Cook them until they are kind of wrinkly.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. 

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for about 10 seconds.  Do not burn the garlic.  If you do, you will need to empty the pan, wash it, bring it back up to heat and add more garlic.  There is no saving a dish once the garlic is burned.  Add the ground pork and cook until it is no longer pink.  Add the sauce/slurry mixture to the pan and stir it to combine.  Bring it up to a boil and let it cook until it begins to thicken.

Add the green beans back to the pan and drizzle with the sesame oil.  Continue cooking until the green beans have warmed through.  Serve over white or brown rice and sprinkle with green onions.

Note: M also added chopped fresh tomato to the top of his but I thought that was a little weird.  But feel free.  M loves fresh tomato on most things.