Hoisin Pork with Napa Cabbage

Hoisin pork with Napa cabbage is a quick, weeknight favorite of ours. It’s a great recipe for chicken too!

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Fine Cooking has always been a reliable source of good recipes. I used to get the magazine but, as a tactic to tame my outlandish food magazine library, I stopped subscribing. Plus, online, I can get more recipes than I’ll ever need.

When I lived in Virginia, a tall Ikea shelving unit in my bedroom was full of cooking magazines dating back to the ’80s – yup, that many. I culled that collection when I moved to California and then again when I moved here to North Carolina. I sometimes mourn the loss of those old Gourmets – should I have saved some of the covers to frame? Wanting to downsize, I let them go, but only after going through all of them to clip my favorite, proven recipes. You can imagine how much time that took – the things we do for our obsessions!

I found this recipe on the web, not in my clippings. The truth is, I hardly ever look in that file box, although I should because treasures lie within! One week in November, our CSA share included a head of Napa cabbage so I searched within my pins to see if I had a recipe. Pinterest is now my recipe box. I’m a sucker for anything hoisin, so I seized upon this recipe.

This dish takes less than 30 minutes to prepare so it’s a great option for a weeknight. I served it with cauliflower faux fried rice instead of regular rice.

Hoisin Pork Stir-Fry with Napa Cabbage | Grabbing the Gusto

Hoisin Pork with Napa Cabbage

You’ll need a large bowl, small bowl and large skillet or sauté pan.

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips about 3 inches long
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 cups Napa cabbage (about 3/4 pounds), sliced crosswise into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, thinly sliced, and cut into 2 to 3 inch lengths
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (or scallions)

In a large bowl, season the pork with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and vinegar.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the pan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until it browns and loses most of its raw appearance, about 2 minutes. Don’t crowd the pork or it will not brown. Instead, sauté in stages, if necessary. Transfer pork to a plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the garlic, and once it begins to sizzle (don’t let it darken), add the cabbage and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Add the hoisin mixture, pork and half of the chives and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute. Let sit for 2 minutes off the heat. The cabbage will release liquid and form a rich broth. Toss again and garnish with the remaining chives.

Original recipe: Hoisin Pork with Napa Cabbage, Fine Cooking

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1 year ago on Gusto: Moussaka

2 years ago: Fennel, Carrot and Tangerine Salad

3 years ago: Beer Cheese Soup

4 years ago: Chicken Parmigiana