Paleo Pork Chow Mein
Here is another delicious Asian-inspired stir fry. The thinner you slice your meat and vegetables, the tastier this meal seems to be (of course, I am never patient enough to really slice everything as thinly as I like it). I absolutely love the use of Kelp Noodles for paleo chow mein dishes because their flavor and slightly crunchy texture works so well (plus it’s a great way to get my weekly dose of iodine-rich seaweed!). I also love any meal that I can prepare in advance and then quickly cook up in the evening. Serves 2-3.
Here is another delicious Asian-inspired stir fry. The thinner you slice your meat and vegetables, the tastier this meal seems to be (of course, I am never patient enough to really slice everything as thinly as I like it). I absolutely love the use of Kelp Noodles for paleo chow mein dishes because their flavor and slightly crunchy texture works so well (plus it’s a great way to get my weekly dose of iodine-rich seaweed!). I also love any meal that I can prepare in advance and then quickly cook up in the evening. Serves 2-3.
- 2 tbsp tallow (or use coconut oil)
- 1 lb pork loin chops sliced very thin
- 1 small onion sliced in 1/2†wedges
- 1 5 oz can sliced water chestnuts
- 1 5 oz can sliced bamboo shoots
- 4 dried dried shiitake mushrooms
- 6-8 baby bella mushrooms
- 3 baby bok choy
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 tbsp coconut vinegar
- 1 pound kelp noodles
- 1 green onion
- Carbohydrate 5.137 g
- Cholesterol 312.9787353 mg
- Fat 41.014391011 g
- Fiber 0.935000026226044 g
- Protein 94.543979827 g
- Saturated Fat 13.5991196341 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (962g)
- Sodium 271.054803483618 mg
- Sugar 4.20199997377396 g
- Trans Fat 5.9075648863 g
- Calories 793 calories
Step-by-step
- Soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes (or follow the package directions). Rinse and then slice into thin strips.
- Slice onion into ½â€ wedges. Quarter baby bella mushrooms. Separate leaves of baby bok choy. Drain and rinse water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Remove kelp noodles from package and rinse with cold water (or follow package directions).
- Heat a Wokover medium-high heat. Add tallow to hot wok. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until completely browned.
- Add onion, mushrooms, and bok choy to the wok with bone broth and coconut water vinegar.
- Cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until pork is cooked through and vegetables are cooked but al dente. The broth should be boiling. If not, turn up to high heat.
- Push the pork and veggies to the side of the wok to create a little hole in the middle. Place the kelp noodles in the hole. Let them simmer in the remaining broth for 2-3 minutes, then start stirring to break up the kelp noodles and distribute throughout the chow mein (another 1-2 minutes).
- Garnish with chopped green onion and enjoy!
Soaking dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for thirty minutes rehydrates their cellular walls, releasing concentrated lentinan and guanylate compounds that build an intense umami base for the entire dish. Slicing the pork loin chops paper-thin ensures the meat reaches internal safety temperatures within minutes of hitting a high-heat wok, preventing moisture loss and tough muscle fibers. Tallow provides a high smoke point necessary for proper stir-frying, allowing oils to reach temperatures exceeding 400 degrees Fahrenheit without scorching volatile proteins.
Bone broth combined with coconut vinegar introduces both gelatin and acetic acid, which together deglaze fond from the pan while gently tenderizing the surrounding vegetables. Baby bok choy leaves and stems require careful monitoring during the eight to ten minute simmer so the chlorophyll remains vibrant and the stalks retain a crisp bite rather than turning waterlogged. Water chestnuts and bamboo shoots contribute distinct structural polysaccharides that maintain their rigidity under prolonged boiling conditions.
Kelp noodles bring a naturally mineral-rich profile derived from raw seaweed, offering a gelatinous yet slightly crunchy mouthfeel that mimics traditional wheat noodles without grain flours. Simmering these translucent noodles directly in the boiling broth for two to three minutes allows them to absorb surrounding savory liquids while softening their dense molecular matrix. Pushing the meat and aromatics to the perimeter creates a central well that concentrates thermal energy for optimal noodle hydration.
Adapting this preparation for larger or smaller dining groups requires proportional adjustments to liquid volumes rather than cooking times, since a crowded wok traps steam and causes boiling instead of searing. Green onions added at the final plating stage release volatile allicin compounds upon contact with residual heat, finishing the profile with a sharp, pungent counterpoint.
