Pork Lo Mein

I prefer to borrow cookbooks from the library and test-drive them before buying my own copies.  The Best Skillet Recipes, from Cook's Illustrated, is a keeper.  Several recipes have become family favorites, including the cherry cobbler and pork lo mein.  Here's my slightly adapted version of the latter. 

Like all stir-fries, this entree is quick to toss together IF you've got your ingredients prepped and ready before you heat up your skillet.  Speaking of which, a word about equipment: 

CI points out that a wide skillet is better than a wok for American stoves.  More food comes into contact with the heat, making for better browning and quicker cooking.  Once I read that, my stir fry frustrations made so much sense!  No matter how I turned my flame, the food never cooked quickly enough in my old wok, often simmering in juices rather than frying.  Anyway, try a skillet!  For this recipe, use one with a 12" diameter.

I'll write the "serves 4" version of the recipe, although it should be enough for 6 people.  If my whole family is home (8), I'll prepare 1 1/2 batches (in a deep 13" skillet) and we end up with leftovers.

Pork Lo Mein, adapted from The Best Skillet Recipes
1# pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced into thin strips
8 tsp low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
12 medium scallions (~2 bunches), white and green parts separated, both parts sliced on the bias into 1" lengths
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (~2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3 oz) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
2 Tbsp oyster-flavored sauce
2 tsp-2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 # green cabbage (~1/4 medium head), cored and sliced thin
1-2 carrots, coarsely shredded (optional)

Set out your ingredients.  Pat the pork dry with paper towels and toss with 2 tsp of the soy sauce.

Scallion whites get their own bowl.  After typing the list above, I now realize I cut these too small!

Garlic, ginger (those are not slices--read about it in the notes), and red pepper flakes:

Oyster-flavored sauce, sesame oil, and the remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce:

Cabbage, scallion greens (cut properly here), and optional carrot shreds:

(There's more cabbage in the above container than the recipe calls for because I double it to make the lo mein a one-dish meal.)

Heat 1/2 Tbsp of the oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking.  Add half the pork, break up any clumps, and cook without stirring until beginning to brown, about 1 minute.  Stir the pork and continue to cook until cooked through, 1 minute longer.  Transfer the pork to a bowl, cover to keep warm, and set aside.  Repeat with the remaining pork.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the scallion whites and cook until lightly browned and softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the broth.  Break the bricks of ramen into small chunks and add to the skillet.  Bring to a simmer and cook, tossing the noodles constantly with tongs or wooden paddles to separate, until the ramen is just tender but there is still liquid in the pan, about 2 minutes.

 (Cook a little more than this picture shows before moving on to the next step.)

Stir in the sauce ingredients and the remaining vegetables.  Cook until the cabbage is wilted and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute.  Return the pork, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet and cook until warmed through, about 30 seconds.

 Serve.  Enjoy!

Notes:

• I double the cabbage to make this a one-dish meal.
• The optional carrots add a bit more nutrition and a spark of color.
• I typically buy a large package (4-6#) of pork tenderloin at the warehouse store.  I'll cut it all up, packing 1 or 1 1/2# allotments into freezer bags.  It's so handy to have the meat on hand and ready to go.
• I keep processed ginger in my freezer, too.  It's a small time investment that saves me waste and time.

Here's the short-hand version:

Prep:

1. pork with 2 tsp soy sauce
2. scallion whites
3. garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes
4. scallion greens, cabbage, carrot
5. oyster sauce, sesame oil, 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Cook pork in batches.  Set aside.

Fry scallion whites until softened.  Add garlic, etc. and stir until fragrant.

Add broth and ramen.  Cook until tender but some liquid remains.

Add sauce and vegetables.  Cook until cabbage is wilted and sauce is thickened.

Add pork, warm through, and serve.

Enjoy!

Interesting Ingredients: Store-Bought Pie Crust

I make good pie crust. I use shortening and a light hand, so it's tender and flaky. It has a neutral flavor (rather than buttery) that works for me.

But making pie crust is time consuming and messy.

In the past year or so I finally caved and started using store-bought pie crust (Pillsbury). This is a big deal for me (baking snob?)! I haven't used it for a dessert (I can still taste the difference), but it's become the household standard for quiche, which we eat regularly.

The product is acceptable, and it gets quiche on the table, which wouldn't happen otherwise. Have you found a convenience product that's a big enough help to make up for is reduced yumminess (compared to homemade)?

Pasta with Red Clam Sauce

Very popular at our house... BTW, that's whole wheat spaghettini in the above photo; hard to tell, eh?

Pasta with Red Clam Sauce
1 # pasta (I use bionature 100% whole wheat)
1-3 Tbs (total) butter and olive oil
4 + cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 to 2/3 can tomato paste
3 cans (6 1/2 oz each) minced or chopped clams
extra olive oil, optional
Parmesan cheese, optional

Boil water, then cook and drain pasta.
Meanwhile:

• Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and saute gently, until fragrant but not brown. Add oregano, basil, and red pepper.
• Increase heat and add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Open cans of clams and drain the broth into the skillet, reserving clams. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until as thick as cream.
• Add clams and heat briefly. Dump pasta in bowl or platter and pour sauce on top. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note: The clams are added at the very end so they don't get tough from simmering and simmering and simmering. They just need to be warmed up.

Interesting Ingredients--Whole Wheat Pasta

Why would anyone eat whole wheat pasta, anyway? Well, it IS more nutritious, with about three times the fiber of white pasta. Most Americans eat too many refined grains, so for us, ww pasta is a simple way to buck that trend.But isn't it heavy, with a strong bran taste? Not necessarily! Some ww pasta is dreadful, but we've found the bionature brand to be truly tasty. I can find it in many shapes at Whole Foods and at least one local grocery store. (Yes, it's expensive for pasta--about $2.50--but still cheap for an entree.)Years ago, when I first attempted to switch the family to ww, I tried some other brands with poor results. We went back to white. When I tried again, I used white for some meals, but whole wheat with bold (red or meat) sauces. Then it went into macaroni and cheese. Now we're all so used to it that I'll even serve it with simply olive oil and herbs, or pesto.

Try it, you might like it! I'm also posting a recipe for pasta with red clam sauce--it might be good for a first attempt.

UPDATE 2010: Cook's Illustrated has caught on, giving Bionature the top rating in its whole wheat pasta taste test.

FYI--Ginger

In case you're interested, the post on "ginger made easy" now has pictures! Oooh... Aaah...

Interesting Ingredients--Ginger Made Easy

Grated fresh ginger is listed in a few recipes on this site. I for one don't want to run to the store to buy a big knob of ginger every time I need it. Nor do I want to keep some on hand waiting to spoil in between uses. So here's what I do instead:

Buy a nice piece of ginger and peel it.Cut it into chunksand whirl in the food processor until minced.Form into a log on plastic wrap, roll it up, and put in a freezer bag.Store in the freezer. When I want grated ginger, I just unwrap the log and shave some off with a sharp knife or cleaver. Sometimes I let it thaw a bit to make the shaving easier. A log of ginger lasts through MANY uses.

EASY!