Spicy Ground Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Spicy Ground Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce - Photo by JayDi Photography

Eureka! I've found a new way to make the Hubster eat cabbage.  When I met him in 1999 and started cooking for him, he told me that he only ate cabbage three ways: coleslaw or sauerkraut and Bubble & Squeak. As time went on, we've added cabbage rolls to this list, but it's one specific recipe only - no variations.  

While I was surfing the web for peanut satay ideas, I stumbled upon this gem.  Since I do the food shopping, I put cabbage into my basket and crossed my fingers. 

Well it was a huge hit! Declared to rival the Crispy Thai Beef Lettuce Cups.   In fact, the sauce from this recipe here is what the Hubster now requests as the dipping sauce for the aforementioned lettuce cups. A bonus with this recipe is that I can sneak in different veg. He's now eating cabbage in a new way and the version pictured here has sliced Baby Bok Choy added.

You can serve this over white or brown rice. I served this version with soft chow-mein noodles.

Prepare to awaken your taste buds!

Spicy Ground Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Serves 4-6

Ingredients: 

5 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, divided use
1 1/2 lbs ground pork (You can use any ground meat here.  I've made this with a blend of pork and beef, ground beef on its own or even ground chicken. In fact, I'm sure you could even use firm tofu for a vegetarian option)
salt and pepper
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 small Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (My store doesn't always have Napa cabbage...I've been using Savoy cabbage)
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1/2 head of broccoli, stalks julienned and florets coarsely chopped
1 cup low sodium chicken broth, divided use
3/4 cup peanut natural smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Thai red chiles, minced
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
lime wedges, for serving

Directions: 

Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large cast-iron skillet or a wok.
When oil is shimmering hot, add pork and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until cooked through and starting to crisp up.

Meanwhile, whisk 3/4 cup chicken stock with peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and chiles in a large mixing bowl (you need a lot of room to whisk in the peanut butter).
It will look like it won't combine and that the peanut butter is separating. Keep whisking. It will come together.
Set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked pork to a bowl. Pour fat from pan and discard.
Add remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth to pan and return to medium heat. De-glaze the pan by scraping the bottom to release all browned bits.
Pour into bowl with pork.

Add 4 tbsp oil to same pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, cabbage, carrots and broccoli stalks.
Cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage is tender, about 4 minutes.
Stir in broccoli florets and cook until vibrant green.
Return pork to pan, add sauce and cook, tossing with tongs, until well combined and heated through.
Serve topped with peanuts with lots of lime wedges on the side.