30-Minute Vietnamese Caramel Pork Stir Fry.
THESE BOWLS! (caps necessary)
I want to dive inside and eat my way out.
We are talking caramel – like semi-legit, sort of half-assed caramel (think lots of brown sugar and flavor) AND pork.
Oh hello two favorite things. I can pretty much die happy.
Seriously can not even stand this. It’s like THEE easiest dish evah and you will want to make it thirteen times this week. (breakfast counts.)
Remember that week when I sort of binged on pork recipes? That was this week. It was a good week but a week I will have to tell you about in the near future because it’s sort of hilarious. And pork filled. I spent a lot of time in the car. I also binged on Mean Girls last night and please tell me that you did too. In honor of their tenth anniversary. I just have a lot of feelings. And still totally flinch when Regina gets hit by the bus.
So If there was ever a meal that I could eat everyday forever and ever (or, er, for at least the next two weeks until I find my next favorite – so basic), this would be it. I spied it in a recent issue of Cooking Light and totally died. And then I made it almost immediately because I was still all #omgcaramelpork in my head and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
It’s just so freaking fantastic. I KNOW. Broken record. I can’t stop. The pork tenderloin cooks quickly (whereas I’m used to destroying pork tenderloins in the oven after waiting for an hour and 25 minutes), the sauce is delicious and the toppings are even better: my favorite napa cabbage, peanuts, tons of cilantro and lime.
Cilantro haters, don’t punch me. This isn’t a pork soap bowl. Leave it out if you aren’t into it!
It will take you less than 30 minutes. Make some brown jasmine rice – you can do it beforehand too because that stuff is so super high maintenance. Things I am terrible at: cooking rice.
Things I have had two of and never used and then gave away: rice cookers.
Thing I will probably buy on amazon in three seconds: rice cooker.
Halp me.
I feel like my photos don’t even do this justice because seared pork is not that stunning to photograph and, well… I was hungry.
So I ate.
It all.
Vietnamese Caramel Pork Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, cut into cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 head napa cabbage, sliced
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly torn cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 2 cups cooked brown jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Season the pork with the salt and pepper. Add the oil to the skillet and once it’s hot, add the pork. Cook until seared and golden brown on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pork from the wok and place it aside in a bowl. Add the onion, ginger and garlic to the skillet, stirring to toss. Cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar and pepper flakes. Pour it into the skillet and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pork and red pepper into the wok, tossing to coat and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately over brown jasmine rice. Top with the cabbage, peanuts, cilantro and a spritz of lime.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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The end.
105 Comments on “30-Minute Vietnamese Caramel Pork Stir Fry.”
This looks phenomenal! And wait — brown jasmine rice?! I didn’t know there was such a thing? Does it hold a candle to regular jasmine rice? I love that stuff.
And also, I don’t understand cilantro haters. I can’t even imagine this recipe without the cilantro!
I don’t hate cilantro, I just can’t eat it. It tastes like soap to me. It’s a genetic thing. look it up.
Looks so so good! This could be one of my favorite dinner dishes.. :)
I love a great stir-fry is that is one of them. Cannot wait to give this a try! Yum.
Definitely going on the dinner menu for next week!
Hello face plant into this!! my hubby would never eat this,,,, he’s away next week, This is now on my menu!
Gahhhh oh my gosh this sounds ridiculously amazing!! Veggies are regular ingredients in my breakfast so eating this for every single meal would not be a problem in the slightest. PS. loved the pork soap bowl comment – LOL! I’m on team cilantro love so the more the better!
Your serving size suggestions kill me. “4 appropriately, 2 obnoxiously.” I believe me and my sweetheart will eat this obnoxiously.
double yum these look so good! pinning this for sure :)
http://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/
30 minutes I’m sold and I also would dive into any dish that is loaded with cilantro.
I love that you love this dish that much. That means it’s fabulous! Cooking Light has some great recipes for inspiration. i need to remember to use them more…it’s bikini season and all, too :) Pinned!
Mmm, these are drool-worthy. Any dinner with the word “caramel” in the title must be good. :)
Just made something really similar the other day – these look amazing!
Totally watched Mean Girls last night ANNDD wore pink!
I’m going to have to start using jasmine rice more often. I think my boyfriend would love this recipe, we might use chicken instead of pork though!
I like those quick, tasty recipe, especially during the week when we are rushed to prepare dinner.
I think i even have most of the ingredients at home already! Yum! This looks amazing. And any meal that can be done in 30 minutes or less is my thang.
I have made the Carmel Pork recipe from Cooking Light so many times over the last few years, it is seriously incredible!!! I am definitely going to have to try this soon!!
cilantro makes every dish better – i adore it! this dish looks AHHHHHMAZING. I would also have a lot of feelings while eating this. no shame.
I love everything about this! Happening for dinner ASAP.
This looks amazing – I need to make this immediately! I love the hot/cold combination of meat and veggies in many Vietnamese dishes. I think I’ll serve this with Nuoc Cham on the side to up the sweet/tangy/spicy-ness of the dish!
Love this recipe but also wondering about your pretty bowls. Are they from Anthropologie?
yes! but they are about 2-3 years old.
I could buy just about every bowl they sell. I love them all!
This looks amazing! I’m definitely pinning this and will try to make it on my own. I think I have most of the ingredients already. Thanks for sharing!
This does look amazing.
I was terrible at rice too, but now, thanks to my darling mother……..
Get the purple bag of Mahatma jasmine rice and follow the microwave directions EXACTLY!! I know, microwave…right, but I swear, you can not mess this up. And perfect every SINGLE time. We’ve eaten more rice in the last two months than in the last two years. (this is not an add for Mahatma…lol.) That’s just the brand we like.
Wow, just wow. Looks so amazing and fresh. I wonder if it would be good with rice noodles?
i think it would be perfect.
Caramel and pork say what?! I can’t even imagine what this would taste like, guess that means I’ve go to try making it!
Haha you are so fuuny!! Hey I don’t eat pork but still my mouth is watering..wondering if I can replace chicken for pork?!! Halp ;)
i’m sure you can!
Holy God sakes alive I’m going in.
Wow. I am so craving this right now!
This stir-fry looks delicious! Would you recommend serving this with spring rolls–or is this pretty filling by itself? And I can’t believe it’s been ten years since Mean Girls came out! I’m feeling pretty old right about now.
with the rice, it’s pretty filling… but i always have room for spring rolls!
Aaaaand, I’m drooling. How the heck did I miss this in Cooking Light?
Anyway, unsolicited life tip from a fellow person who can’t cook rice: buy it already cooked at the Whole Foods hot bar. It’s a total waste of money but it saves a lot of anger and cursing in the kitchen.
This looks delicious! Definitely cooking this in the very near future.
I am also THE WORST at cooking rice. I think I’ve successfully made it stovetop style maybe once. It’s pathetic. I’ve even messed up rice in a rice cooker. What even.
Get out! This looks AMAZING! And so authentic! I can’t wait to try.
Your bowls are awesome! I was so excited about this recipe and made it for dinner tonight substituting pork with chicken, and oh my! Addictive, I think I had to stop myself on the third bowl & it was four thumbs up from the bf too. This is going on the regular dinner rotation for sure.
ah! so glad you already made it.
Whoop Whoop, for Mean Girl anniversary and for deliciousness in this bowl!
Already made this for tonight’s dinner… Seriously so good! I didn’t have peanuts and missed the part that says sliced red pepper (only did crushed red pepper), but it was great that way too! Going into my regular “light & fresh” dinner options.
I want to eat Vietnamese food every day of my life!
Definitely watched Mean Girls last night, based on boyfriend’s suggestion. But, also don’t understand how it’s been 10 years
check out Cooks Illustrated recipe for oven baked brown rice…its fantastic!
Oh, brown jasmine rice is so delicious. I could never make rice until this tip from Sara Moulton: cook it like pasta. Plus, I save the rice cooking water for soup. It just adds a little something extra.
That issue of Cooking Light was unbelievable. I loved everything in it! I folded down all of the Asian recipes, including this one. Thanks to you, this is now on the menu for our Friday date night at home. Thanks!
yum
I made this dish yesterday…. seeing the recipe, I HAD to. ;) We only had chicken on hand, so that works well too. No peanuts, so we subbed cashews & no cabbage. Next time it’ll be as written. Even with the needed changes it was a hit with all 4 in the family. Oh, we used & will always use sticky rice too! yum. :)
So quick & easy to throw together as well, always a huge plus!
Thank you, thank you.
Ever since I got back from San Fran, I’ve been obsessed with Asian dishes! I’m totes pinning this, it looks amazing!
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Just had this for dinner. So good. Totally being added to rotation which is quite full with some of your othe tasty dishes.
Yummy!! Made this delicious dish tonight for the Hus and I. It was soo good and so easy. Such a nice switch up from our usual chicken stir fry. I always forget about pork! Dude loved it and there is just enough leftover for him to take for lunch tomorrow. I subbed udon noodles for the rice cause I was out. It was perfection. Thanks for another awesome recipe :)
U R Ha LARRY US…This looks Amazing! I adore cilantro, and always have it on hand for every recipe from Asian to Mexican, then eggs…Jessica, I was cleaning out my shelves & ran across a HUGE rice cooker(???) I was like WHAT? I’ve never used one…Where did this BEAST come from…jury is still out on that one! First I don’t use white rice AT ALL, so this is for brown rice, I’ve never screwed up rice in my life, so here’s the key’s to the Kingdom…my trick is I always rinse it, then as long as I know it’s for savory I put the rice in a warm pot w/ a Tablespoon of EVOO(or I’m in LOVE/LOVE w/coconut oil & it can be used for everything…) on med. temp…babysit it, stir the rice until all is coated (depending on how much you’re making, increase the oil or reduce) , it’s always 2 to one (one being rice, 2 the water/broth/fluid, (except for wild rice that’s 3 to 1 & cooks for 45 or more)…as soon as the rice starts crackling, pour in your fluid in, bring heat up to boil,cover & lower temp to simmer…should be done in about 40 min.(when I say “about” it’s people have electric stoves, so temps can vary, just make sure there is a low boil)… remove from heat, fluff w/fork …bada-bing! I will add seasonings myself as I don’t use salt at all, it’s not a health condition, it’s about that there is so much hidden in everything. Check it out girlie, not great…I looked up a recipe earlier today from a big shot chef, brace yourself…over 6,800 grams of sodium per serving, just call 911 right before ya take the 1st bite! You’re a bright shiny star & you crack me up…I will be making this yummy recipe this week, Thanks, Andrea
Wow…this looks so delicious! I love Asian flavors. Thankfully, I wasn’t born with the “cilantro tastes like soap” gene. I would be seriously depressed and feel like I am missing out on some of the best dishes in the world if I did!