Stir-Fried Pork with Spinach
Instructions:
Any tender green can fill in for spinach: Arugula, cress,
chard, dandelion, and even romaine lettuce all work
here. Add a small handful of chopped basil or cilantro or
mint at the last minute if you like. And if you want a
strong garlic flavor, reserve some of the garlic and stir it
in at the end of the cooking, along with the soy sauce and
lime juice. Since this dish is the work of a moment, you
should have all the side dishes started (or finished) before
you begin.
Other cuts and meats you can use: beef, preferably sirloin;
lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless
chicken
1 pound pork, preferably shoulder, trimmed of
external fat
About 1 pound spinach, trimmed of thick stems and
well washed
2 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like grapeseed
or corn
11/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more as needed
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 to 1/2 cup stock (to make your own ) or water (optional)
1/2 cup minced scallion or 1/4 cup minced chives for garnish
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: About 15 minutes
- Slice the pork as thinly as you can (it’s easier if you freeze it for 15 to 30 minutes first). Cut the slices into bite-sized pieces, about the size of a quarter. Chop or tear the spinach coarsely.
- When you’re ready to cook, have all the ingredients ready, including a serving dish and cooked rice, if you’re making any. Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Immediately add half the oil and all the pork.
- Cook, stirring occasionally (not constantly), until the pork browns and loses all traces of pinkness, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a bowl and lower the heat to medium.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Swirl it around and add the garlic. Stir once or twice. As soon as the garlic begins to color—after about 15 seconds— return the heat to high and add the spinach. Stir frequently, just until the spinach wilts, a minute or two longer.
- Add the pork back to the skillet and stir for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and lime juice, stir, turn off the heat, and taste, adding more soy sauce if necessary. If the mixture is drier than you like, add the stock and heat through. Garnish with the scallion and serve immediately.