Looking for an easy pork and greens recipe? This Sichuan Pork & Greens is the type of simple meal my Irishman and I love for weeknight dinners. Ground pork is stir-fried with soy sauce and tingly Sichuan peppercorns, then tossed with a big bunch of leafy greens and topped with crunchy cashews and chili oil. It’s packed with flavor, loads of veggies and protein, and it all cooks in one pot in about 20 minutes.
Plus, because it all cooks in one pot, the cleanup is speedy as well.
If you don’t have Sichuan peppercorns, see the variations below for alternatives. However, they’re a really unique ingredient and worth tracking down. I love how they give little tingly bursts of flavor on your tongue as you eat them. A wake-up call for your taste buds!
Why You’ll Love This Pork and Greens Recipe
- One pot – minimal washing up.
- Loads of greens – a whole bunch of chard, kale or bok choy for two people.
- Big flavor, few ingredients – soy sauce, Sichuan pepper and chili oil do all the heavy lifting.
- Quick – about 20 minutes.
What Are Sichuan Peppercorns?
Despite the name, Sichuan peppercorns aren’t related to black pepper. They’re the dried husks of a type of prickly ash berry, and they’re used a lot in Sichuan cooking. As a food scientist, I love that they contain a compound (hydroxy-alpha-sanshool) that creates a tingly, slightly numbing sensation on your lips and tongue. In Chinese cooking, this is called ‘ma’. Combined with chili heat (‘la’), it’s the famous ‘ma la’ flavor. Toast them briefly in a dry pan and crush them for the best flavor.
The Best Greens for Pork Stir-Fry
- Swiss chard or silverbeet – my favorite. Cook the stems first, as they take longer.
- Kale – curly or Tuscan.
- Bok choy or choy sum – classic in Chinese cooking and quick to cook.
- Chinese broccoli (gai lan) – slightly bitter and lovely with the rich pork.
- Spinach – wilts in seconds, so add it right at the end.
- Green beans or broccoli – they’ll just take a little longer to cook.
Sichuan Pork & Greens
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard (silverbeet), kale or other greens
- 1 lb ground pork 450g
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
- large handful roasted cashews to serve
- chili oil or chili salt to serve
Instructions
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If using chard, finely slice the stems and coarsely chop the leaves, keeping the stems separate. If using kale, spinach or other greens, just coarsely chop everything.
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For chard: heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add a good glug of oil and the chard stems and cook, covered, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Skip this step if using other greens.
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Increase the heat to high (or heat the pot with a little oil if you skipped the stems) and add the pork.
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Stir-fry until the pork is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add the soy sauce, water and Sichuan peppercorns, then add the chopped green leaves. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the greens are just cooked through.
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Taste and season with a little more soy sauce if needed. Divide between two bowls, top with cashews, and serve chili oil or chili salt at the table.
Recipe Video
WINE MATCH: A crisp Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, or a glass of Pinot Noir.
Variations & Substitutions
no Sichuan peppercorns – just use regular black pepper. It won’t have the same tingle, but it will still be delicious!
short on time – use frozen greens. Make sure you defrost them first and squeeze out the extra moisture.
vegetarian / vegan – replace the pork with cooked lentils, chickpeas or crumbled firm tofu.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with steamed rice or rice noodles.
more substantial (low carb) – extra cashews, or serve with cauliflower ‘rice’.
more flavor – add minced garlic and/or grated ginger with the pork.
low FODMAP – use roasted peanuts or other low FODMAP nuts instead of the cashews.
family-friendly – for my green-phobic boys, I cook the pork in the soy sauce and Sichuan pepper, then keep some aside for them to have with rice and a very small amount of the greens.
different meat – any ground meat will work. Chicken or turkey are the most similar, but beef or lamb are also lovely with the Sichuan tingle.
More 5-Ingredient Easy Pork and Greens Ideas
- Garlic ginger pork and bok choy – add minced garlic and grated ginger with the pork, and use bok choy as your greens.
- Pork and greens noodles – toss through cooked rice noodles or egg noodles. Or try my Spicy Sichuan Pork & Noodles.
- Pork and greens fried rice – add cooked rice to the pan with the pork and greens and stir-fry until crispy.
- Pork lettuce cups – serve the pork in crisp lettuce leaves with the greens finely shredded.
- Mapo-style – add cubes of soft tofu and a spoonful of chili bean paste. Try my Slow Mapo Tofu.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Cook as per the recipe, but keep the cashews and chili oil separate. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, or can be frozen. To serve, warm in a pan or wok with a little oil.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
chard, silverbeet, kale or other greens – will keep in the fridge in a plastic bag for about a week. Can be frozen cooked or raw.
ground pork – freeze it.
chili salt / roasted cashews / Sichuan peppercorns / soy sauce – keep them in the pantry.
More 5-Ingredient Chinese Dinner Recipes
- Spicy Sichuan Pork & Noodles
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Slow Mapo Tofu
- Classic Simple Dinners: The Stir Fry
- Chili Bean Paste Substitutes
In your corner,
Jules from Stonesoup xx
(Your favourite Australian Food Scientist)
See my bio
Sounds like a really good idea. I usually cook a shoulder chop and cut it into bite size pieces and then cook the greens separately. Have to try it this way – the ground pork seems like an easy one.
What is it with kids and green food?
Pork shoulder would be lovely as well Miriam!
I think there must be an evolutionary component to the green food aversion – just haven’t figured out what that is yet!
JX
We started early with the girls, the oldest was on solid adult foods (well cooked and cooled) at about 9 months. The youngest was a bit older and although we didn’t force them to eat them all, they had to take one bite. They say they don’t like it, but at the same time, they’ve not tried it! 9 yr old granddaughter loves her greens, she’s not crazy about carrots though…lol
Oh you’re so lucky having a granddaughter who loves greens Rusty! I live in hope :)
What’s the replacement for the sichuan peppercorns?! :)
Thank you!
OMG Dimitris!
I can’t believe I forgot to mention that important detail!
Just use regular black pepper. It won’t have the same tang but will still be delicious!
Thanks for asking :)
I was about so post the same comment
Black pepper :) Or any other pepper will work as well now I think of it Jenny
Wonderful combination of flavors, Thanks for sharing…
Glad you enjoyed Molly!