Pork, Chili, and Banana Skillet
Pouched pork seared with ginger, then bananas browned in the same pan and tossed with sweet chili.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 11 oz
- cal / oz
- 56
- protein
- 36 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 22 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Dairy free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Day one only
- Basic
Ingredients
| Shelf-stable pouched pork | 10 oz | drained; pouched chicken works the same way |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral oil | 2 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Fresh ginger | 1 tbsp, chopped | or 1 tsp dried ground |
| Bananas | 2 | firm and slightly green, never overripe |
| Red chili | 1, thin rings | or 1/2 tsp chili flakes |
| Green onions | 2, chopped | |
| Cashews | 1/3 cup | |
| Sweet chili sauce | 3 tbsp | squeeze packets or a small bottle |
| Soy sauce | a splash |
Method
- Heat half the oil in a wide pan over the stove, flame high. Add the pork and ginger and fry until the edges brown, about three minutes. Move it to a lid or a bowl.
- Peel the bananas, split them lengthwise, then cut into thick chunks.
- Put the rest of the oil in the hot pan. Add the banana, chili, green onion, and cashews. Leave the banana alone for a minute at a time so it colors instead of falling apart.
- Return the pork, spoon in the sweet chili sauce, and add a splash of soy. Fold once or twice, no more.
- Serve straight from the pan while it steams.
The original is a wok dish with raw pork strips, which is a refrigerator problem. Pouched pork solves it: already cooked, shelf-stable, and it browns fine in hot oil as long as you drain it first. Everything else on the list already travels.
Banana is the part people doubt. It works because a firm, underripe one holds its shape and caramelizes, adding sweetness and body without a sauce base. An overripe banana turns to paste in the pan, so buy them green and eat this on day one or two. Cook the meat first and set it aside; the banana needs a hot dry pan to itself, and crowding it means steaming instead of browning.
Packing
Pork pouches and sauce packets ride in the food bin. Bananas go in a hard container on top of the pack or they arrive as pulp. Chop the ginger and green onion at home and bag them together.
Variations
- Instant rice cooked in a second pot stretches this to three people.
- Dried chili flakes and ground ginger cut the fresh-produce problem entirely.
- Pouched chicken or salmon substitutes one for one.
https://www.matprat.no/oppskrifter/sunn/wok-med-chili-og-banan