I had some defrosted ground pork in the fridge that I needed to cook up but I had no fricking idea what I wanted to do with it. Correction. I had a ton of ideas for what I could make (e.g. skinless gyoza , pork larb, meatballs) but I was too lazy to make anything too involved.
Inspired by this pork and shrimp lettuce wraps recipe, I decided to make a quick stir-fry with items in my fridge and pantry. I’ve cut back on cooking Asian dishes because all my favorite condiments are decidedly not Paleo – oyster sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, mirin, seasoned rice vinegar, any store-bought Asian sauce/marinade. How the hell can I make Asian food taste right? You need the right balance of sweet, savory, sour, and umami.
After looking at my pantry, I found some good replacement items. For umami flavor, fish sauce is great. Although Fitbomb likes to avoid soy products, I do have some wheat-free tamari on hand for savory and umami flavoring. (Coconut aminos are a great alternative for folks who want to go soy-free) To add some sour flavor, I have a variety of vinegars and some lemons/limes in my fridge.
serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 onion chopped finely in my mini-prep
- 2 cups thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 pound pasture raised ground pork
- 3 garlic cloves squeezed through my garlic press
- 1 inch knob of ginger grated on a microplane (I keep my ginger in the freezer)
- 4 cups pre-washed baby spinach
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or wheat-free tamari
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Method:
I heated up some coconut oil in my skillet over medium-high heat. Then I added the onion and once they were translucent, I threw in the mushrooms. Once the vegetables cooked down, I put in the ground pork, garlic, and ginger. I added the fish sauce, coconut aminos (or tamari), and vinegar (all the measurements above are estimations). Once the sauces were mixed in, I added the spinach and stirred them around until they wilted. I tasted for seasoning and added salt and pepper as needed.
I just scooped up the sir-fry and plopped it in a bowl and chowed down. Yummy, but in the future, I’ll serve it with some cauliflower fried “rice.”
Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index! You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-Winning iPhone® and iPad® app, and in my New York Times-bestselling cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel 2013).
