Thai Pork Basil Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 10 oz pork tenderloin or boneless pork chops
• 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil)
• 4 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 chilies Thai red chilies (or 1 serrano pepper)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the pork on a cutting board and slice it lengthwise into strips about 1/4 inch thick, each roughly the width of your thumb, so the pieces cook quickly and evenly.

2. 2

   Place the garlic cloves on the cutting board, lay the flat side of a knife over each clove, and press down firmly with the heel of your hand until the clove splits and the papery skin falls off.

3. 3

   Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots — and set aside in a small bowl.

4. 4

   Slice the Thai chilies lengthwise into thin strips, removing and discarding the seeds if you want less heat, and set aside in a separate small bowl.

5. 5

   Pull the basil leaves from their stems and discard the stems; you should have about 1 cup of loose leaves and set aside.

6. 6

   Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a 12-inch skillet and set the heat to medium-high until the oil shimmers and moves quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.

7. 7

   Add the pork strips to the hot oil in a single layer and let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes so the bottom side turns golden-brown and crispy.

8. 8

   Use tongs or a wooden spoon to flip each pork piece to the other side and cook for another 90 seconds until that side is also golden-brown.

9. 9

   Push the cooked pork to the side of the skillet and add the minced garlic and chili strips to the empty space; stir and cook for 30 seconds until the mixture smells strongly fragrant.

10. 10

    Pour 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of palm sugar into the skillet and stir everything together with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until the pork and aromatics are coated in the sauce.

11. 11

    Add the basil leaves to the skillet, remove from heat, and stir gently with a wooden spoon until the basil is slightly wilted but still bright green, about 20 seconds.

12. 12

    Squeeze 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice over the dish and stir once to combine everything evenly.

13. 13

    Divide the stir-fry between two bowls or plates, spooning the sauce from the skillet over the top of each serving.

Tools you’ll need

• cutting board
• chef's knife
• 12-inch stainless steel skillet
• wooden spoon
• tongs
• small bowls (2)
• measuring spoons

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