Spicy Pork Stir-Fry

Summer in the new house. The first summer with a yard, a porch (still sagging, but scheduled for repair in July), and a kitchen that feels like mine. I stand at the window over the sink and look at the backyard — the grass needs mowing, the mystery hole is still there, the smoker is relocated from the apartment balcony to the back patio where it belongs — and I think, this is it. This is the life I've been building. Not finished. Still under construction. But real.

The smoker lives in the backyard now. No more landlord. No more social contract. I can smoke meat on my own property at any hour of the day or night without diplomatic negotiations. I smoked a pork butt this weekend — twelve hours, apple wood, the bark so dark and crispy it looked lacquered. Megan and I ate pulled pork sandwiches on the porch (the sagging porch, which sags more when two people sit on it, but holds) and watched the evening settle into Bay View and I was so content I forgot to breathe for a second.

The kitchen renovation is mostly done. New cabinets, butcher-block counters, six-burner range, pot rack from the ceiling, and the window. The window. Every morning I stand at the sink and look at the yard and the light comes through and I wash my coffee mug and I think about Babcia standing at her window doing the same thing. Same routine. Different decade. Same feeling. Home.

At the brewery, summer production. The cherry sour is back. The hefeweizen is flowing. Life at Lakefront is good. But the asterisk is there — Helen's, the dream, the twelve stools. Every week the asterisk gets a little bigger. Not yet. But closer. Always closer.

The pork butt gets all the glory — twelve hours, apple wood, the whole ceremony — but there are weeknights in that new kitchen when I want pork on the table in under thirty minutes and I want it to have that same kind of heat and satisfaction. That’s where this Spicy Pork Stir-Fry earns its place. It’s the kind of thing you throw together on a Tuesday when the smoker is cold and the six-burner range is begging to be used — loud, fast, and exactly right for eating at the counter while the yard light flickers on over the backyard you finally own.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, thinly sliced against the grain
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or sambal oelek)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
Cooked rice, for serving
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Marinate the pork. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add sliced pork, toss to coat, and let sit for at least 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
Heat the wok. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
Sear the pork. Add the pork in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and cook without stirring for 1—2 minutes until browned. Stir-fry for another 1—2 minutes until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Cook the vegetables. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add broccoli and bell pepper and stir-fry over high heat for 3—4 minutes until tender-crisp.
Add aromatics. Push the vegetables to the side, add garlic and ginger to the center of the wok, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Combine and finish. Return the pork to the wok. Add hoisin sauce and red pepper flakes, tossing everything together to coat evenly. Cook for 1 additional minute until heated through.
Serve. Spoon over steamed rice and top with sliced green onions and a pinch of sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Pork Stir-Fry — When the Smoker Has a Night Off