Thai-Style Pork Stew

I keep an old, large photo album for all my recipes. It contains ripped and torn recipes, pilfered from magazines and newspapers. It also has some cute 3X5 index card emblazoned with "from the kitchen of..." given to me by ladies of previous generations (back in the day when you kept a perfect little recipe box.) My book is a mess, but I know where everything is. It holds about 100 recipes and to occupy a spot behind the crinkly plastic cellophane, you need to be tried, tested, and true. Which means very few recipes make the cut.

When Scot and I got married I ran out and bought the Joy of Cooking. I studied the techniques, and perused their list of exotic ingredients. I still use the classic tome when I need help identifying a particular cut of meat, but find the recipes methods to be long and tiring. Over the years I have taken cooking classes and stocked my bookshelf with numerous cookbooks. I have everything from Rachel Ray (not such a fan anymore) to Tyler Florence (scrumptious!). But, by far, my favorite recipes have come from the pages of Cooking Light Magazine. While I'm not afraid of a little cream, I do believe lamb shanks and duck had a role in my father's demise. So, when and where I can, I cut back.

The following is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It is easy, and fantastic. This one is for Darcy, who seems to like the same comfort food I do. You be the judge; it might not deserve a spot in your book, but it at least deserves a try.


Thai-Style Pork Stew

Peanut butter melds with classic Asian flavors to lend this one-dish meal a Thai flair. Lime makes a perfect accent.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew, 1 tablespoon green onions, about 1/2 teaspoon peanuts, and 1 lime wedge)

Ingredients:

Stew:

• 2 pounds boned pork loin, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 cups (1 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 
  Remaining ingredients:
• 6 cups hot cooked basmati rice
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 8 lime wedges

Preparation

To prepare stew, trim fat from pork. Place pork and next 5 ingredients (pork through garlic) in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker, and coarsely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in slow cooker; stir well. Stir in pork.

Combine stew and rice in a large bowl. Top each serving with onions and peanuts; serve with lime wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

412 (30% from fat)

Fat:

13.6g (sat 3.6g,mono 6.2g,poly 2.5g)

Protein:

28.9g

Carbohydrate:

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 1999

Note: I have subbed in chicken thigh meat, and it works okay. This recipe doesn't really taste like food at your Thai-takeout, it's just yummy and who doesn't like a little peanut butter? Also, I have used natural PB, and it's fine. The lime is essential and I also buy the Chili Lime nuts to sprinkle on top. My favorite side is steamed green beans. You can reduce the cooking time once you experiment with your slow-cooker. I've done it in 4 hours. I've served this for family dinners, for strangers in Michigan, and to Scot regularly. It's always a favorite.