Squash & Pork Stir-Fry

I’m sure you’ve rushed around the grocery store thinking you’ve purchased the necessary ingredients to throw together a “quick” weeknight meal. Right? I thought that was the case for me… When  I started to prepare this dish, I realized that I had ground pork instead of pork sausage and butternut instead of kabocha squash. I’m blaming holiday stress and distraction. (Well, truth be told, the squash was a conscious substitution- no fabulous kabocha to be found.)

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Chris Morocco. I doubled the recipe, used ground pork instead of pork sausage (oops!), seasoned accordingly, butternut instead of kabocha squash, and cashews instead of peanuts. I also omitted the sugar. I roasted the squash instead of steaming and sautéing it. We let the dish stand alone, but it would also be wonderful accompanied by rice. Delicious!

Yield: 4 Servings

• 1 medium butternut or kabocha squash, cut into 1-inch pieces, approximately 4 cups
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound (80 percent lean) ground pork
• 1 tsp coarse salt, plus more for squash
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for squash
• dash or two of red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and sliced
• 1 T finely grated peeled ginger root
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 1 large lime)
• 4 tsp fish sauce
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• salted, roasted peanuts or cashews and chopped cilantro, for serving, as desired

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Toss squash with 1 T olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place squash on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, and paprika; cook, breaking into large pieces and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, shallot, chiles, and ginger and cook, stirring often, just until softened, about 2 minutes.
5. Add roasted squash, lime juice, fish sauce, and scallions; toss to combine.
6. Serve stir-fry topped with nuts and cilantro, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Turkey & Spinach Curry

Two Years Ago:

• Panko-Crusted Mustard Salmon
• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Three Years Ago:

• Pea Risotto
• Caramel Chicken

Four Years Ago:

• Butternut Squash & Bacon Quiche
• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce

If you like this you may also like:

• Thai One-Pot

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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