Stir-Fry with Pork, Eggplant, and Greens

At some point in the week, we’ll find ourselves rooting around the refrigerator, realizing we’ve already eaten our way through half the ingredients we were supposed to save for our *epic* meal plan (curse those late night munchies!). Piecing together a last-minute alternative can leave us scratching our heads and wondering what on earth we’re supposed to do with this rag-tag group of misfit vegetables. Enter stir fry–the ultimate kitchen sink dinner.

Walking the line between winter and summer, this stir-fry recipe effortlessly melds the two seasons. Feel free to use any kind of winter greens and sub in your favorite seasonal produce (this would be great with summer squash, turnips, radish, green beans, cauliflower, or carrots).

Serves: 3-4
Total Time: 60 minutes

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced lengthwise into thirds
• 1 lb eggplant
• Olive oil
• 1 bunch of greens like collards or kale, rinsed roughly chopped
• 3 dried chilies cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions:

1. Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes and place in a colander. Salt heavily and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry (this will help draw out moisture to reduce bitterness and allow the eggplant to maintain firmness). Next, prepare your marinade for the pork by combining mustard, soy sauce, sugar, thyme, and garlic. Cover the tenderloin with the marinade and let sit for at least 10 minutes (up to an hour) at room temperature.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy cast iron skillet and cook pork for 5 -6 minutes on medium-high heat, turning the pork once to brown on both sides.  Reduce heat and cook for 2-3 more minutes until slightly pink in the center. Remove from heat.  Set aside to rest. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Add eggplant to the cast iron skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes until tender. Add chilies and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add sliced pork and greens. Cook for 2-3 minutes until your greens are bright and slightly wilted. Remove from heat and serve spooned over rice.