Dinner is less than 30 minutes away! Quick Fry Marinated Pork is the perfect weeknight dinner served with plain steamed rice.
If you’re like me, and most other families, there’s one thing that’s a daily constant that can drive you near the brink of insanity. It’s that dreaded time spent between the moment you leave work to the time when you get home where you think of nothing but what to prepare for dinner.
I know, I know! Lord Byron, what do you have to worry about? You’re a food blogger! Shouldn’t your pantry and fridge be stocked with food that’s already prepared? You might think that should be the case, but sadly, Dear Reader, you’d be wrong. I’m just like everyone else. Most of the dishes you see posted here are prepared and photographed on weekends. During the week, I struggle just like you do.
Unlike larger food bloggers with millions of subscribers who can afford to pay their bills and feed their families with blog income, I cannot. I have a full time job outside of the blog as well. I’m up early in the morning, take the subway to work, arriving by 7am. Then, I leave work at 3pm and get home after 4. Most times, I’ll stop on my way home to buy ingredients for that night’s dinner. We very rarely do a large grocery shop and stock the fridge.
That’s why I love recipes like this Quick Fry Marinated Pork with Rice so much! It’s so easy to prepare and you can do all of the hard work either before you go to bed or before you leave for work in the morning. The prep time from start to finish for this dish is only 15 minutes – faster if your knife skills are up to the challenge!
Basically, you need to slice the pork loin chops into 1/4 inch slices. I try to go against the grain so that the pork is more tender when finished cooking. I pile the sliced pork into a resealable bag, and then whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour it into the bag as well. Squish it all around to ensure the pork is evenly coated and place it in the fridge.
When you come home from work, all you need to do is cook your rice (use minute rice to make this meal come together even faster!) and heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, pour the pork and marinade out of the bag and into the skillet. Use tongs to toss the pork around so that it doesn’t stick together. Continue to cook over high heat until the moisture has dissolved and the pork has browned. Plate it up, garnish and serve. How simple is that?
I like to use pork loin chops for two reasons. First, they are cheaper than buying a whole pork loin. And, secondly, it’s easier to slice them into thin strips. Can you use a whole pork lion? Yes. Just slice the pork loin into 1 inch thick chops. And then lay the chop flat and slice into 1/4 inch slices across the grain. If you’re able to find whole cuts of pork loin on sale, you can probably double the batch. Most whole cuts of pork loin are larger than two pounds.
It is a good idea to give the pork a taste just before it’s completely browned to your liking. I find that some pork loin chops tend to need more salt than others. If that’s the case with your version of this recipe, add a bit more salt and continue to cook until the meat is browned.
It’s important not to over-brown the meat. There is nothing worse than dry pork loin, and the fine line between cooked and over-cooked with pork is nearly invisible! Pork loin has next to no fat content, so the meat can become dry very quickly. The marinade will certainly help to offset this from happening, of course. Don’t worry, you should get some charred bits, but it still won’t be overcooked.
If you want to serve this pork with a salad, you can certainly do so. Rice is very quick and easy and is just a great option for this dish. But, a salad would work very nicely as well. I would suggest my Apple and Corn Salad, because it’s also easy to prepare and pork and apple pair very well together.
Quick Fry Marinated Pork with Rice
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork loin chops, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the sliced pork and onions into a large Ziploc bag.
- Whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, salt, ground black pepper, dried red chili flakes, and honey.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the bag with the pork and onions and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the pork until pork is well coated. Place the bag of pork on a plate and let it sit in your refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. (You can marinate for up to 12 hours.)
- When ready to cook, place a skillet on medium-high heat and allow the pan to heat up. Once the pan is hot, add the pork and onion mixture. Fry for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the pork begins to brown.
- Toss in half of the sesame seeds and stir into the pork.
- Remove from heat, plate with rice, and garnish with remaining sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Tynia says
Oh wow this sounds flavorful! Pork is the absolute best. Thanks for sharing.
Denay DeGuzman says
I tried this deeply satisfying recipe this evening, and it tasted so darn good. It was quick and easy to make too! This pork-and-rice recipe’s a keeper!
Danielle says
Fantastic pork recipe that is so quick to make! And great choice of the side dish. By the way, I always rely on marinate to avoid overdrying meat!
Mahy says
I love dinners that take between “little to no-time” and “30 minutes” – they are my favorite. And so is this pork – it looks amazing! Great tip about going against the grain – I will try it!
Leslie says
This is one of those recipes where my mouth is just watering the whole time I’m reading through and looking at the photos. Wishing I could dive into it right now! Looks like perfection!
Chelsey says
This pork and rice looks so flavorful and the marinade sounds delicious! I love that it’s a quick recipe – perfect for those busy weeknight dinners!