I had never heard of Black Pepper Pork until I came across a recipe in Justin Chapple's new book Just Cook It! 145 Recipes That Are Totally Delicious.
The simple stir-fry uses a copious amount of black pepper -- one whole tablespoon -- but isn't overtly or unbearably peppery. Of course, if you're not fan of black pepper, you likely won't like this dish as it does taste like black pepper.
Chapple's version calls for just 10 ingredients, including rice for serving.
The process is so simple and the recipe comes together quite quickly -- in about the time it takes to cook a pot of rice.
Pork tenderloin is thinly sliced and coated in a mixture of cornstarch, soy sauce and black pepper and left to marinate for about 15 minutes.
The technique of coating meat in cornstarch is common in Chinese cooking, and according to the food geniuses over at Serious Eats, it serves multiple purposes. Coating the meat in cornstarch binds the marinade ingredients to create a sauce, and it results in more tender meat by forming a barrier that protects the meat from the intense heat. The result is meat that is so tender it is almost silky.
I tweaked the recipe just a bit by using red bell pepper and sugar snap peas in place of the asparagus in Chapple's version. And I opted to use the lemongrass flavored soy sauce I wrote about a few weeks ago instead of regular soy sauce to add another dimension of flavor.
This is one for the keeper file.
Black Pepper Pork
1 pound pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I used Ink Gourmet Soy Sauce Lemongrass flavor)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 cup long grain rice
3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil, divided use
6 ounces sugar snap peas
2 red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
3 green onions, roots trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
Cut the pork tenderloin in half lengthwise, then cut it crosswise into thin slices.
In a large bowl, toss the sliced pork with the cornstarch. Add the soy sauce, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes.
While the pork marinates, start the rice.
In a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine the uncooked rice, a generous pinch of salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, without removing lid, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until ready to serve.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Add the pork, spreading it into an even layer. Cook, undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned on the bottom. Continue to cook, stirring, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Transfer pork to a plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the sugar snap peas and the bell peppers. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Return pork to skillet, along with any juices that accumulated on plate. Cook, stirring, until hot. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.
Serve immediately over rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving using low-sodium soy sauce contains approximately 441 calories, 30 g protein, 14 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate (4 g sugar), 74 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.
Food on 05/09/2018