Marinated Pork & Pear Stir-Fry with Cashews

Many folks don’t know that cinnamon is a hot spice. Which makes it a logical choice for Asian dishes. Especially with things like pork or chicken. By utilizing pre-made ingredients like canned pears, hoisin sauce, and crunchy cashews, you’ll find yourself at the starting gate of deliciousness as you whip up a stir-fry full of interest and surprise.

INGREDIENTS:

10 ounces lean pork tenderloin sliced into very thin strips

3 C cooked jasmine rice

1/3 C cashew pieces

2 large celery stalks sliced

3/4 C canned pears drained and cut into chunks

1 t chili flakes (can add more if desired)

1 T fresh grated gingerroot

Handful chopped fresh parsley

Chopped fresh cilantro & scallions for garnish

3-4 T Hoisin sauce

½ t salt

¼ t black pepper

2 olive oil

Marinade:

1/3 C soy sauce

¼ C Olive This! Cinnamon Pear Vinegar

2 T olive or vegetable oil

2 T sesame oil

3 large cloves garlic sliced

¾ t kosher salt

¼ t black pepper

2 T Juice of 1 tangerine

1 T Juice of 1 lime

METHOD:

• Place thin strips of pork in a wide shallow bowl and add all the marinade ingredients. Stir very well. Cover. Refrigerate and turn the pork often into the marinade during the 3 hours it sits. Using the pork loin is the best as the more tender the meat the better this dish!
• While rice is cooking, heat a medium sized saucepan to very hot and add oil. Add the celery, chili flakes, and stirfry for a minute. Now add the pork and all the marinade, as well as the chopped ginger. Stir and cook for only a minute or two, just long enough for the garlic to get fragrant and the pork to turn brown. The very thin pork cooks fast!
• Add the salt and pepper, the drained pears, and stir a bit more to incorporate. Then add the hoisin ­sauce and about 2 T of the chopped parsley. Stir.
• Serve over rice and garnish with more parsley, or you can garnish with cilantro, or even scallions.