Garlic Butter Pork Bites with Green Beans
Pork
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb (650 g) pork chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning mix (preferably low sodium)
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 lb (450g) green beans, trimmed and blanched (if thin, no need to blanch the green beans)
Red chili pepper flakes, optional
Fresh chopped parsley, for the garnish
Lemon slices, for the garnish
Directions
1. To make the Cajun butter pork bites: In a shallow plate, sprinkle pork bites with cajun seasoning and toss to coat well. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet or pan over medium-high heat until hot.
2. Sear the pork bites in batches for 2-3 minutes each side until edges are crispy and browned, adding extra oil as needed. Remove the browned pork bites from the skillet and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet and heat until melted. Sauté the chopped garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds), while scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Deglaze with lemon juice and vegetable broth.
4. Throw blanched green beans into the pan and toss in the lemon butter sauce to coat well. Cook green beans for 3-4 minutes, turning regularly using tongs.
5. Push cooked green beans on the side and return the pork bites into the pan. Toss pork bites through the garlic butter sauce to evenly coat. Serve the Cajun butter pork bites and lemon green beans with lemon slices, sprinkled fresh parsley and red chili pepper flakes if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
If you need to blanch green beans, cook them in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes, then drain and soak in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the nice green color of the vegetable. You can also nuke them in the microwave for 7 minutes, covered, with 1/4 cup water.