Spicy Stir-Fried Pork, Asparagus, and Onions with Lemon Grass
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
This take on stir-fry can be quite spicy. Pork tenderloin is easier to slice if it is partially frozen. Freeze the tenderloin until firm but not frozen solid, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then cut the tenderloin crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Cut the slices into 1/4-inch strips. To use lemon grass, peel off three or four of the tough outer leaves to reveal a creamy white interior, then trim off the bottom inch or so of the stalk. Of what remains, the bottom 4 or 5 inches can then be minced.
Instructions
- Combine pork, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and soy sauce in small bowl. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce, chicken broth, lime juice, sugar, and cornstarch in measuring cup. Combine garlic, lemon grass, red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking; add half of pork to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps, until well-browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer pork to medium bowl. Repeat with additional 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining pork. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet; add asparagus and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, until browned and almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to bowl with pork. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to skillet; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic/lemon grass mixture to clearing; cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until -fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir mixture into onions. Add pork and asparagus; toss to combine. Stir sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter; sprinkle with basil and serve.
Time
45 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
When developing a stir-fried pork and vegetables recipe, we found that marinating the pork tenderloin in a simple mixture of soy sauce and fish sauce and cooking it quickly (about 2 minutes) in batches over high heat kept the meat tender and beautifully seasoned. Because different vegetables cook at different rates, we had to batch-cook the vegetables and add aromatics (like garlic and lemon grass) at the end so they cooked long enough to develop their flavors but not long enough to burn. Chicken broth gave the sauce in our pork stir-fry recipe some backbone, and cornstarch slightly thickened it so that it lightly cloaked the meat and veggies.
Before You Begin
This take on stir-fry can be quite spicy. Pork tenderloin is easier to slice if it is partially frozen. Freeze the tenderloin until firm but not frozen solid, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then cut the tenderloin crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Cut the slices into 1/4-inch strips. To use lemon grass, peel off three or four of the tough outer leaves to reveal a creamy white interior, then trim off the bottom inch or so of the stalk. Of what remains, the bottom 4 or 5 inches can then be minced.
Instructions
- Combine pork, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and soy sauce in small bowl. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce, chicken broth, lime juice, sugar, and cornstarch in measuring cup. Combine garlic, lemon grass, red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking; add half of pork to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps, until well-browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer pork to medium bowl. Repeat with additional 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining pork. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet; add asparagus and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, until browned and almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to bowl with pork. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to skillet; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic/lemon grass mixture to clearing; cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until -fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir mixture into onions. Add pork and asparagus; toss to combine. Stir sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter; sprinkle with basil and serve.
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