Fast and easy Pork and pepper stir fry

Hi there, you must be looking for a quick and easy stir fry dish that’s got few ingredients yet packs huge flavour! If so, this pork and pepper stir fry 青椒肉丝 is the answer.

Believe it or not, this plain sounding dish did not come together because that was all I’ve got in the fridge. It’s actually a popular and beloved stir fry dish all over China. As the name states, the dish is just tender, marinated pork with crunchy, spicy green peppers or chillies.

A classic combination that works...but also an excellent weeknight meal that comes together in 20min - the same amount of time to cook the accompanying rice.

The Green peppers

Traditionally, the peppers used in a pork and green pepper stir fry needs to pack some heat. Because the dish is simple with only a few ingredients, each is there for a reason. And the green pepper is there for texture and heat.

With that said, I used a green bell pepper and a couple of fresh mild green chillies because I’m cooking for children but you can definitely substitute a different type of pepper or chilli that has more spice. Some great choices include: Cubanelle peppers, Korean peppers, Anaheim peppers, Serrano, cayanne…etc.

The pork

As with other stir fry pork dishes like Yu Xiang Rousi “Fish-Fragrant” Stir Fry Pork 鱼香肉丝, a leaner cut is best. Because this dish is cooked really fast over high heat, any fat or connective tissue in fattier cuts will not break down enough to be pleasant to eat.

So for your pork and pepper stir fry, use a cut like tenderloin, loin or even chops and cut them up into uniform slivers similar to the size and shape of the peppers.

Sweet Bean Sauce 甜面酱

Sweet Bean Sauce or tián miàn jiàng 甜面酱 is a thick, dark brown condiment that is found in many Chinese kitchens. Directly translated, its name means “sweet flour paste”, which is telling as it is made from fermented wheat flour and fermented soy beans.

It is also the predominant seasoning for this fast and easy pork and pepper stir fry. No chopping of garlic and ginger, no additional aromatics needed because we’ve got the umami flavours from the sweet bean sauce which goes excellent with pork.

But if you can’t find tián miàn jiàng, substitute with hoisin sauce, Sweet Bean Paste 豆瓣酱 – Dou Ban Jiang or even Oyster sauce. They are all slightly different, but will all taste good in a stir fry.

And there you have it, another delicious solution to your - what's for dinner? problem. Try it out and let me know how you and your family liked it.