Right in the heart of Smithfield country… a pork stir-fry

Let’s change it up a bit this week! One of my favorite quick meals is stir-fry. It’s healthy and light and I usually serve it over brown rice. But it tastes great over any type rice or just by itself! You can make this recipe in a large skillet but I would suggest a stir-fry Pan or Wok for the best results.

Here is your Shopping List:

1. Four boneless pork Chops (thinly cross-sliced)

2. One Orange Bell Pepper (cut into chunky pieces or julienne cut)

3. One Yellow Bell Pepper (cut into chunky pieces or julienne cut)

4. Two Stalks of Celery (medium angle cut sizes)

5. One red onion (cut into wedges and separated)

6. One Large Sliced Carrot (angle cut)

7. One Zucchini (cut lengthwise and then sliced into thick pieces) optional

8. One Pint White Mushrooms (cleaned and cut in half and cooked separately) optional

9. One Large Jalapeno Pepper (Seeded and Sliced into thin rounds)

10. One chunk of fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thin)

11. ¼ C Soy Sauce (or my favorite, Coconut Aminos) and some for sprinkling

12. One heaping Tbsp cornstarch (add to ¼ C of Soy Sauce, stir and set aside)

13. Four Tbsp Garlic Infused Olive Oil

14. Salt & Pepper

15. Baking Soda

(Did you know that sprinkling any meat with baking soda and letting set for about 15 minutes before cooking tenderizes the meat just as MSG would but without the adverse side effects associated with MSG? Trust me when I tell you that meat will melt in your mouth after cooking. Don’t use too much because you don’t want it to change the flavor of the meat).

Take the boneless pork chops and remove any fat around the edges. With a sharp knife, Slice into thin strips. (you may want to put the pork in the freezer for a few minutes which will help in the slicing process). Sprinkle and rub in the Baking Soda. Toss and set aside while you prepare the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the Wok on high with 4 Tbsp of garlic infused olive oil.

Add the sliced Pork and continually toss until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from heat and put in an uncovered bowl.

Still on high heat, add more oil to the Wok along with all the vegetables including the sliced ginger. Do not add the mushrooms at this time. They should be cooked in a separate pan and added later.

Sprinkle some regular soy sauce (or coconut aminos) while tossing and meat and vegetables together so that absorb the flavor of the sauce. You don’t want to cook this took long. Stir fried vegetables are meant to be crisp when serving.

Add the cooked mushrooms and mix.

Lower the heat and add the ¼ C Soy sauce that was mixed 1 heaping Tbsp of cornstarch and stir consistently until you see the sauce start to change in color and thicken. If the sauce is too thick, you can always add a little more soy sauce or water. I prefer vegetable broth because it gives additional flavor.

Remove from heat. Serve over your favorite rice!

(Note: You can replace the pork with sliced chicken breasts, any steak or shrimp. When using any meat, don’t forget about the baking soda)