Lemongrass and Honey Pork Stir-Fry and Farro with Broccoli

The “Lemongrass and Honey Pork Stir-Fry,” from pigpigscorner.com, was a pungently tangy and tart dish, thanks to the inclusion of lemongrass and lime and fish sauce in the very wet marinade. Honey and lemon scents were potent as the pork sizzled in the frying pan.

I doubled the amounts in this recipe, to make four servings. I replaced the marinade’s red chili with sweet bell pepper, in the interest of my young child’s palate. This was my first cooking experience with pork shoulder butt, which was a fatty piece of meat that I bought on its bone. It was easy enough to slice the pieces of pork steak away from the bone, with a sharp serrated knife. I marinated my pieces of pork for 2 hours.

The pork and its very wet marinade, once added to the frying pan, eventually dried and turned brown (be patient here). Enjoy the sweet/tart smells. I added 1/2 tsp. kosher salt at the end of the stir-fry. Dave and I liked this, though it was too tangy for my youngster, after all.

Again, I sing the farro love song. The “Farro with Broccoli,” from umamigirl.com, is a smooth celebration of farro and shiitake mushrooms. Farro tastes and feels like barley + rice, and it never fails me. I unashamedly used an amount of frozen broccoli in this recipe. I added 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper at the end. Everyone shall eat this and be happy.

PRICES
Pork Shoulder Butt (1.51 lbs.) = $12.55
Onions (2) = .72¢
Lime (1) = .29¢
Red Bell Pepper (1) = .56¢
Lemongrass (2 stalks) = .40¢
Red Onion (1) = .51¢
Shiitake Mushrooms (15) = $3.41

RECIPES: pork is easy to marinate and easy to stir-fry, while farro is a sturdy winner
PREP TIMES: marinate the pork for an hour or more, but then stir-fry quickly; the farro needs at least an hour to soak, boil, and sauté the various components
TASTES: fatty pork pieces grip the tangy tartness of lemongrass + lime juice + fish sauce; farro’s ample bite is cloaked smoothly in silky red onion, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and parmesan cheese

At the risk of becoming “pork weary,” I will work with the pig again. Next time, I want to cook the “Sweet and Sour Pork,” from thekitchn.com (using a pork tenderloin). I will also spin around and make the “Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole,” from whatwouldcathyeat.com (authored by veggienumnum.com). Check out my meal when you come back to my site soon.