Like the average person who tries to stretch every last penny, I browse my local supermarkets for affordable cuts of meat to feed my family. OK - I'll say it, I tend to buy meat that has solely been marked down to save a buck. I can honestly tell you we have never had anything bad happen and we save a ton shopping this way. I feel you judging me with your judgey eyes.
I happened upon boneless pork stew meat, reduced of course, so I tossed it in the cart. Call me strange, but I've never used pork stew meat for anything and had no clue how to begin to prepare it in a dish, let alone resemble a suitable meal. Hey, it was on sale - I knew I would find it's purpose later. I did what a lot of you do when the creative juices for a good meal start flowing - I googled inspiration :)
I happened upon a recipe for
Chinese Fried Rice and tweaked things from there to suit my taste. My plan was to make this a meal, not a side. It's a 2-step process, but I promise well work the extra effort and totally delish.
I used the recipe below to both marinate and cook the meat at the same time, in the oven.
Marinated Oriental pork
1 pound boneless pork stew meat
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Preheat oven to 200 °F. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, honey & garlic in a shallow baking dish. Add in pork and toss to coat. Cover dish with foil and cook slowly in the oven until tender (about an hour). When done, set aside for Chinese Fried Rice.
Chinese Fried Rice
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten (you can add more)
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 pound cooked marinated oriental pork, chopped
1/2 cup canned chopped carrot
1/2 cup canned peas
4 cups cold cooked rice, grains separated
6 green onions, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (adjust to taste)
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on medium heat (I used a 12" frying pan). Add chopped onions and peppers, sautéing until onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix eggs with 2 teaspoons of soy. Add 1/2 tbsp oil to pan. Toss in egg mixture, stirring frequently until cooked. Add pork to pan, along with carrots and peas; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add rice, green onions, and bean sprouts, tossing to mix well; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Fold in 1/4 cup of soy sauce to rice mixture; stir-fry for 1 minute more; serve.
*This will serve 4 adults as a meal or about 8 as a side dish.
