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    Home » Budget Meals

    Vietnamese Caramel Pork (The Kids Cook Monday)

    May 5, 2014 · Modified: Dec 26, 2021 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Vietnamese Caramel Pork (The Kids Cook Monday) - Andrea Meyers

    On our crazy busy weeknights, getting a healthy meal on the table quickly is a big deal, and we get the boys in the kitchen to help. Each one has a job, and they rotate the jobs among themselves. One helps with food preparation, one helps with setting the table, one helps with cleaning up at the end. This Vietnamese caramel pork is one meal that the kids love to help with because the vegetable prep is pretty easy; they just need to thinly slice the napa cabbage, and chop onions and carrots. All four of my guys really like this, and I make a double batch, which is enough to feed the family and have some leftovers. They like the crunch of the cabbage and cashews, and the drizzle of lime juice helps balance the sweetness of the sauce.

    The May edition of Cooking Light features fast recipes, with the plan to get dinner on the table in 25 minutes or less. To keep this Vietnamese Caramel Pork dish under the 25 minute window, the original recipe calls for packaged precooked rice, and you can certainly do that. We just happen to prefer homemade rice, so I turn the rice cooker on first to get things moving. One other time-saving trick is to make a big batch of rice once a week and reheat the leftovers for other meals. We always have some kind of rice ready in the refrigerator, and it works well for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

    Vietnamese Caramel Pork (The Kids Cook Monday) - Andrea Meyers

    For safety, make sure an adult or teenager works with the hot wok. And check out more recipes your whole family can make together at my Cooking With Kids page.

    Recipe Notes

    You can use pork chops or chicken breast instead of the pork tenderloin.

    The original recipe uses just sesame oil, but I add a little peanut oil with the sesame oil for my seasoned carbon steel wok, which helps keep the sesame oil from burning.

     

    Vietnamese Caramel Pork - Andrea Meyers
    Print Pin

    Vietnamese Caramel Pork (The Kids Cook Monday)

    Adapted from Cooking Light.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Vietnamese
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Keyword: gluten free, pork
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 286kcal
    Author: Andrea Meyers

    Equipment

    • wok
    • medium bowl

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon peanut or sunflower oil
    • 1 pound pork tenderloin (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
    • 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
    • 1 cup chopped carrot (about 3 large)
    • 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
    • 5 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)

    Sauce

    • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
    • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon gluten-free fish sauce
    • 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    • 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

    Serve With

    • prepared brown jasmine rice
    • thinly sliced napa (Chinese cabbage, about 1 leaf per person)

    Garnish

    • chopped unsalted roasted peanuts or cashews
    • cilantro leaves
    • lime wedges
    US Customary - Metric

    Preparation

    • Heat the wok over high heat. Add oil ands swirl to coat. Add the pork and stir-fry 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan. Add the onion, carrot, ginger, and garlic to the wok and stir-fry 2 minutes.
    • Combine stock, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, rice vinegar, and crushed red pepper in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add stock mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 4 minutes or until sauce is thick and bubbly. Return pork to the work and cook 1 minute, stirring to coat. Serve with suggested accompaniments.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 697mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 5420IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Share in the comments!

    More Meals to Make with Your Family

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    Asparagus Noodle Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette (The Kids Cook Monday)
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    Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps (The Kids Cook Monday)
    Mu Shu Pork Lettuce Wraps - Andrea Meyers
    Mu Shu Pork Lettuce Wraps

    Visit our Cooking with Kids page for more recipes the whole family can cook together!

    More Easy Asian Recipes From Other Blogs

    • Monica Bhide – Monica’s Indian Express: Chicken Vadouvan Curry
    • The Perfect Pantry – Egg Curry
    • The Roasted Root – Moo Shu Vegetable Bowls
    • Omnivore’s Cookbook – Easy Chinese Cucumber Salad

    [Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection.]

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. kristy @ the wicked noodle says

      May 10, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      Holy cow, A!! This dish looks FANTASTIC. And the photos are stunning!!

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        May 10, 2014 at 5:01 pm

        Thanks Kristy! The boys had a good time helping me make it.

        Reply
    2. Callie says

      June 07, 2015 at 8:39 am

      Huge hit with my husband! I think i added too many red pepper flakes for my kids so next time I'll add less. I will be making this again! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        June 10, 2015 at 7:05 am

        Thanks Callie, so glad you enjoyed it! It's one of my boys' favorites.

        Reply

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