Gingered Pork & Veggie Stir Fry

This is a dish Thomas Jefferson would love--just enough meat to add some flavor and substance to a mostly vegetable based meal. More importantly, my 5 year old loves it! (OK, not every veggie in it, but I know something is working when I get a smiling thumbs up after serving a new dish). There are of course many variations on the basic stir fry concept, but this seemed to come out better than the typical version and seemed worth sharing.

Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp honey

1 tsp brown rice vinegar

1/2 tsp cornstarch

Stir Fry

1 thick, boneless pork chop

1 1/2 cups chopped red & green bell peppers

1 garlic clove, minced

1 inch ginger, peeled & chopped

1 1/2 cups snap peas, removing any thick strings (but you can get stringless which makes it easier)

1 bunch quick cooking greens-I used Swiss chard, choppped

appx. 1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil

If you haven't done much stir frying, point 1 is, be sure to get everything cut up in advance. The cooking process is fast and requires frequent stirring. As you start chopping, start cooking some rice to serve with the dish.

Make the sauce: combine all the ingredients through the vinegar, then gradually whisk in the corn starch. Set aside (you'll need to stir again before adding to the pan).

Slice the pork thinly crosswise, about 1/2 inch thick. The cut the other way, also about 1/2 inch, so you get a good number of small, match shaped pieces. This spreads the meat nicely and helps it cook fast.

Put a wok or large skillet on high heat. Add oil, when good and hot, add the pork and stir until the outside of the meat is white, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat, still on high, then stir in the peppers. Cook for a minute or two, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir for about 30 seconds, then add the peas and greens. Cook until the greens start to wilt, a minute or two. Now add the pork back in, lower heat to medium, stir in the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 3 minutes, until the pork is done--you want to get it off the heat when it's close to being white throughout, but not quite...i.e. don't overcook it. Give it a good stir and serve over some rice. Healthy & tasty!

I'm writing these notes up a bit after the fact, and didn't record my wine pairing. But riesling is a natural choice for stir fry; an unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay could also work.