Two Quick and Easy Pork Recipes for Dinner Tonight

I apologize for letting Pi day and DIY cooking interrupt the Ode to Red Bowl series, but sometimes you have to put things on hold for good dessert (and a fun cooking handbook with cool graphics).

But without further delay, I’d like to continue my homage to redbowlness with two delicious recipes instead of one.

These two dishes look almost identical in their pretty red bowl. But don’t let the bowl fool you. Sure, they are both healthy and simple with a similar set of basic ingredients, but the flavor profiles are completely different, taking you on a mini-journey from China to Mexico. It’s a great example of how easy it can be to make two unique dinners in one week, even if you use somewhat similar ingredients. And of course, you can always replace the pork with some organic chicken or tofu or lean beef or extra veggies too. Dig in.

This little piggy went to two continents:

Pork and Black Bean Stir Fry

Adapted from thegoodmoodfoodblog.com

This recipe is adapted from a fantastic homestyle cooking blog based in Dublin. Think Jamie Oliver, only younger and with messy brown hair instead of blond. Don’t skip the orange zest. It adds a light punch of flavor that really makes a difference in the dish (for the original recipe, click here).

Serves 2
1/2 pork tenderloin, sliced into strips (try to get organic, grass-fed if you can find it)

2 teaspoons cornflour

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil

2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, finely grated

2 cloves of garlic, finely diced

Zest of one orange

1 teaspoon of birds eye chilies, diced (I used dried red chilies, diced)

1 15oz can of black beans

1 small to medium onion, sliced

4-5 scallions, diced

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

1/4 cup water

a drizzle of sesame oil (optional)

Directions: Place sliced pork in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cornflour and stir to coat. In a wok over high heat, add oil and stir fry the meat, browning on all sides until cooked through. Remove cooked pork from wok and set aside. Add the ginger and garlic to the wok. Stir fry over medium high heat until lightly golden and toasted. Add the orange zest and cook just until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium, then add the chilli, black beans, onion, scallions and peppers, and stir fry until peppers are tender (3-4 minutes). Add the fish sauce, Hoisin sauce and water and stir to combine. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings, if needed. Then add the meat and toss until coated with the sauce and vegetables. Finish with the sesame oil (optional) and stir it all together one more time before serving. Serve with buckwheat noodles or over rice.

~

Slow-cooker pulled pork with tomatillo salsa

Adapted from desperation to use up leftover pork loin.

I threw this simple recipe together using some jarred tomatillo salsa, onions, garlic, beans, and beer (how can you go wrong?). Let it cook low and slow in a dutch oven or slow cooker, and it comes out super tender and full of flavor.

1/2 pork loin, cut into sections (organic, grass-fed, if possible)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 15 oz can of black beans
1/2 cup tomatillo salsa
1 cup chunky salsa
1/2 bottle of beer (preferably a darker beer to get a deeper flavor – I recommend Dogfish Head Indian Brown)

Directions: Season the pork tenderloin with cumin, salt and pepper. In a pan over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and sear the pork on all sides to brown. Add remaining olive oil along with pork, onions, garlic, beans, salsas and beer to the slow cooker and let it do it’s thing (choose the setting that works for your schedule). Or if you prefer using a dutch oven (like me, no idea why), sear the pork directly in the pan before adding the remaining ingredients, and as the sauce starts to cook, scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble away on the stove for 45 minutes to an hour or more. Once the pork is cooked through, remove it from the sauce and shred with a fork. Return to sauce and heat through to fully absorb the flavors before serving. Serve over rice.