With a whole lot of recipes, the secret really is in the sauce. And what a treat when the sauce you make merely involves tossing a handful or two of ingredients into a blender or food processor to make a smooth, creamy sauce that will transform some fresh vegetables, leftover pork, and tender udon into a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
You can use smooth or creamy peanut butter in this sauce and if sriracha seems too hot, choose a milder hot sauce. If you want it hotter, try adding a bit more sriracha or a hotter hot sauce along with your blender sauce. You can use bottled lime and orange juice if you don't have fresh limes and oranges on hand. Asparagus can be substituted for green beans and any similarly textured vegetable (carrots, kohlrabi, etc.) can be substituted for the radishes as long as they are of similar size once cut. Leftover chicken, steak, etc. can be substituted for the pork, although I love using the pork for this dish.
This is a one pan meal, but you can always have fresh summer rolls or a cucumber salad alongside it if you are looking to have sides. I like to keep it simple and serve this with a light iced tea or lemonade and save room for a dessert of Watermelon Daiquiri Sorbet!
Thai Peanut Pork & Green Bean Udon
- 1 T. toasted sesame oil
- 2 T. peanut butter
- 1 T. soy sauce
- ½ tsp. rice vinegar
- 1-3 T. sriracha hot sauce
- 1-inch piece of ginger - grated
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 orange
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 c. trimmed green beans - cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2-3 large radishes - trimmed, sliced in half, and cut into small half rounds
- 1 (7 oz.) package udon noodles
- 2 c. diced, cooked pork
Combine the first 9 ingredients (toasted sesame oil through orange juice) in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth; set aside.
In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and glossy, add the green beans and radishes and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the udon noodles and continue to stir-fry until the noodles are soft with a bit of browning on the outside edges, another 4-5 minutes. Add the diced pork and the reserved peanut sauce and gently stir everything until well-combined and heated through, another 4-5 minutes. Serve hot.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes