Basil Stir Fry with Pork (Pad Kaprow)

A speedy but satisfying basil stir fry with pork is a life saver on busy weeknights.  This quick dinner has two main flavor boosters, basil and fish sauce, and they do all the heavy lifting needed to elevate ground pork and a few additional ingredients into a better-than-takeout dinner!  This recipe is a constant in our meal plan rotation.  Make it once and the vibrant color, big flavor, and quick prep will have you adding it to your dinner rotation, too!

Ingredients

I include ingredient notes here when I think they’ll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Ground pork - Use an 80/20 mix of ground pork for a good balance of protein and a bit of rendered fat that helps with the body of the sauce.  
• Garlic - Minced fresh garlic adds an important aromatic flavor to the stir fry. The recipe calls for 3 cloves, but measure the amount of garlic needed with your heart.
• Red Bell Pepper - I don’t always see red bell pepper in other recipes for basil stir fry, but it was always preset in the restaurant version this recipe is based off of. 
• Basil - As mentioned above, Pad Kaprow is supposed to be made with holy basil.  If you can get your hands on it, definitely use it for a more authentic flavor!  You can also substitute Thai basil or sweet (Italian) basil for this stir fry.
• Eggs - It’s optional, but very popular, to serve basil stir fry with a fried egg on top.
• Fish Sauce - Ask around at your local Asian market for a recommendation for their favorite fish sauce, I most often reach for Three Crabs or Red Boat brands.  You may find fish sauce at your larger supermarkets as well.  Fish sauce is made from salted and fermented anchovies, and is strong if you get a whiff of it.  Trust that it will mellow when used in the recipe.
• Brown Sugar - Just a bit of brown sugar helps balance the salinity of the fish sauce.
• Corn Starch - Corn starch is used to slightly thicken the sauce and help it coat all of the other ingredients.  There’s not so much added in this recipe that the sauce is gloppy and thick, it just has a little extra body.
• Sambal Oelek - Sambal oelek is a chili paste often sold in Asian markets or larger supermarkets and it is used in this recipe in pplace of fresh Thai chiles, another tricky ingredient to source locally.  The sambal is made of chiles, salt, and vinegar and adds a subtle spice to the stir fry.  It is entirely optional, but adds a heat level and flavor that is mild enough for most diners. Buy a jar and you’ll find loads of other ways to use it, like on eggs, in salad dressings, or in marinades.

Instructions

Once you start cooking this stir fry is done in minutes!  Get all of your ingredients chopped, the sauce mixed, and have any sides like rice, veggies, or salad ready to go so you can serve everything up hot and delicious.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by whisking together the fish sauce, brown sugar, sambal oelek (optional), and corn starch along with two tablespoons of water.  Set this aside.

Prepare your vegetables.  Chop the bell pepper into a small dice by slicing it into strips first.  Tear the leaves off of the basil stems.  Finely mince the garlic.

Preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  If you’ll be frying eggs to top the basil stir fry, heat an additional skillet up as well.  Brown the pork in a dry skillet until all of the liquid evaporates and the meat is broken up into small bits.

Add the diced peppers and the garlic to the pan and continue to cook, stirring often and tossing ingredients to cook everything uniformly, for about two minutes.

If you are frying eggs to accompany this basil stir fry, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the second preheated skillet.  The oil should shimmer in the bottom of the pan.  Crack the eggs into the skillet, season them as desired with salt and/or pepper, and cover the skillet to help them cook and reduce splatter.

Fry the eggs until the edges are crispy and brown, and serve immediately over the basil stir fry so that the yolks are just as runny as you like them.

Right before the eggs are finished, add the basil and the sauce to the skillet with the pork mixture.  Continue to stir fry for about 1 minute, until the basil is wilted, the sauce has coated the meat, and the eggs are done to your liking.  Serve immediately over rice or along with your favorite side.

Substitutions and Variations

The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!

• Use the Basil that’s Accessible  -  Pad Kaprow translates to Holy Basil stir fry, however that fresh ingredient is hard to come by for most unless you grow your own.  Use Thai basil for a licorice or anise note in your stir fry or Italian (sweet) basil as another option if you can't find Holy Basil.
• Add Mushrooms - The restaurant dish I was inspired by included mushrooms in their stir fry.  I often add 8 ounces of white button or cremini mushrooms as well.  I chop them very finely so that they are the same size and texture as the ground pork.  A food processor makes quick work of this!  Cook the mushrooms at the same time as you cook the pork.  The cooking time will be longer (mushrooms release a lot of water!) but no other changes are needed.
• Omit the Egg - This basil stir fry is perfectly satisfying without the fried egg, and it’s no issue to omit the egg if you want an extra-quick and simple dinner.
• Change the Protein - Basil stir fry can be made with ground (minced) beef, chicken, or turkey, or even crumbled firm tofu in place of the ground pork.  If you are cooking with ground chicken or tofu, the fat content is lower than in ground pork, so a tablespoon of neutral oil to start in the skillet will help with sticking.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite side for this basil stir fry is Cucumber and Carrot Salad, but a side of steamed broccoli or green beans is great too. Serve the stir fry over steamed rice. The fried egg is optional but highly recommended.