The secret to this pasture raised ground pork stir fry is caramelization. A bit of brown sugar and fish sauce (no, it won't taste fishy AT ALL), transforms humble ground pork to a Vietnamese inspired flavor bomb with exceptional texture and umami. This quick and easy stir fry recipe has earned it's place in my rotation of weeknight meals and *not boring* lunches. Its rich flavor is balanced with freshly grated ginger, garlic, and a pop of heat from red Thai chili peppers. Totally optional, though encouraged. Ground chicken would also work very well here, so feel free to swap it out.

The Crunchy Asian Slaw is packed with cabbage, carrots, cilantro, Thai basil, and scallions and is way more than just a garnish to your rice bowl – it's so good I found it difficult to stop eating it by the spoonful after mixing it all together. It would make a fantastic salad with the ground pork stir fry over top (or even shredded chicken), and keeps incredibly well in the fridge for up to 3 days, even after vinaigrette has been added. 

The beauty of this recipe is how simply it comes together with a little prep. Sure, the ingredient list is a bit long but many of the same ingredients are used in each component and everything can be made in advance – so all you'll need to do is stir fry the ground pork, steam some rice if you'd like, and eat! The pork would also make for excellent lettuce wraps. Trust me on this one, it's a real keeper. Let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

For the Ground Pork Stir Fry –

• 1 lb. 1915 Farm Pasture Raised Ground Pork (or Ground Chicken!)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced 
• 1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced
• 2-3 Thai chili pepper (also known as bird's eye chili), finely sliced, optional
• 5 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (again, I promise you it will not taste fishy!)

For the Crunchy Asian Slaw – 

• 3 cups green cabbage, sliced thinly/shredded
• 2 large carrots, grated (or use about 3/4 cup pre-packaged matchstick carrots)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal 
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 2-3 large Thai basil leaves, chiffonade (roll leaves tightly and slice into ribbons)

For the Vinaigrette for Slaw –

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tbsp honey (or sugar)
• 1 red Thai chili (also known as Bird's Eye chili), finely sliced, optional
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced

For Serving –

• 1 scallion, for garnish
• Steamed jasmine rice
• Crunchy Asian slaw 
• Lime wedges
• Thai basil leaves, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Vinaigrette –

Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a mason jar. Screw a lid on the jar and shake until well combined. Set aside or refrigerate until needed (make up to 5 days ahead). Alternatively, you can whisk everything together in the bowl you'll make the slaw in.

For the Slaw –

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the slaw. Drizzle about half the vinaigrette over top and toss well to combine. Add more vinaigrette to suit your preference. Set aside or cover and refrigerate until needed (make up to 3 days ahead). Letting this sit for at least 15 minutes allows the flavors to really build so make ahead if you can. 

For the Ground Pork Stir Fry – 

Place a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil (or avocado oil), and heat for a moment. Add the onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until softened and translucent. Next, add the ground pork and season with a few pinches of kosher salt (go a little lighter since fish sauce is a tad salty and will be added later). 

Add sliced Thai chilis if using and sauté a few moments. Then, add the sugar and fish sauce. Stir to combine then let sit without touching for 3 minutes. Stir, and let sit again 3 minutes. Repeat this process a couple more times until pork is caramelized and golden. This makes for an absolutely delicious flavor and texture. 

Serve over steamed Jasmine rice with Crunchy Asian Slaw. Garnish with scallions, cilantro leaves, sliced Thai chili, basil, and lime wedges for squeezing. Enjoy!

Notes: Leftovers are absolutely delicious and can be enjoyed cold from the fridge (ask me how I know). The ground pork stir fry mixture would make excellent lettuce wraps too, or simply served over the Crunchy Asian Slaw as a salad instead of rice bowl. This meal keeps so well, it's perfect for meal prep or weekday lunches.

We hope you enjoy this recipe! If you’d like to share your delicious dish on Instagram, don’t forget to tag us @1915_Farm

P.S. If you love our pasture raised ground pork – consider subscribing to the new Grassroots Meat Club (ships free in TX, reduced in other states). Each box includes a variety of hand-selected grassfed and pasture raised meats, such as chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leg quarters, wings, thighs, drumsticks, whole chicken, ground beef, kabobs, stew meat, stir fry, cutlets, London broil (top round), beef roasts, beef ossobuco, short ribs, various sausages, pork roasts, pork chops, bacon, ground pork, skirt steak, country style ribs, spare ribs, and bacon!

Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats