Lemongrass Pork

This lemongrass pork is a flavorful Southeast Asian inspired dish, very simply prepared using a handful of delicious aromatics. Made with tender, thinly shaved pork tenderloin marinated in fresh lemongrass, ginger, garlic, lime and soy sauce, then quickly seared in a hot skillet, my lemongrass pork recipe comes with cucumber-radish salad on the side and makes for a refreshing and flavor-packed meal!

Pork with Southeast Asian flavors

For me, there's nothing quite like the complex flavors found in Southeast Asian cuisine—namely Thai and Vietnamese—to awaken my tastebuds.

There's the savory/salty, the hint of sweet, the sour and the spicy, and all of these together make for such a delicious eating experience, one in which each bite taken is a surprise to the palate.

Whipping up a dish that has some of that wonderful complexity in it, yet is easy to make in my own kitchen without a lot of fuss, makes for a recipe that I end up turning to again and again when the craving for those distinct flavors comes calling.

My lemongrass pork recipe is one that we've been enjoying lately, because it calls for a fairly short list of ingredients which pack a flavor punch, and with a quick and easy method as a bonus.

Loaded with those nuances of salty, sweet, a touch spicy, aromatic and a bit tangy, this lemongrass pork is quickly seared off in a hot cast iron pan for those caramelized edges. And to balance things out with some acidity, I toss together a super quick and cool cucumber-radish salad for a refreshing crunch on the side.

Served over fresh, fluffy rice or noodles, this lemongrass pork recipe is sure to be on rotation when a quick and easy yet highly flavorful din-din is what's called for.

My recipe for lemongrass pork with cucumber-radish salad

Because I'm after a really tender and succulent cut of pork here, one that will cook up super quickly, I'm opting for pork tenderloin. It's incredibly tender and takes on the flavors in a marinade really well, and sears up in no time when I use my cast iron skillet, or any other heavy bottom pan that I can get screaming hot.

Because I'm shaving the pork super thinly, it takes mere moments to cook up, really just until that aromatic marinade sort of caramelizes around the edges.

And speaking of that marinade...

This is where all of that rich flavor comes in, because I'm using some soy sauce, fresh lemongrass, ginger and garlic, plus some lime, a touch of honey and fish sauce, and even a spoonful of chili garlic sauce, if I'm looking for some heat (but totally optional).

I like to whisk the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, but an alternative method is to add everything (roughly chopped) to a food processor and process until smooth—that could make it a little easier.

Allowing the pork to marinate in the those ingredients for at least a couple of hours (even overnight for best flavor) is what creates depth, each bite packed with loads of flavor.

Here's a glance at my lemongrass pork recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I whisk together my marinade ingredients (or use my food processor), and set the marinade aside.
2. I shave or slice my pork tenderloin very thinly into bite-size pieces and add the pork to a large bowl or ziplock bag, then pour the marinade over the pork and allow the pork to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible (for optimal flavor!).
3. Meanwhile, I put together my cucumber-radish salad ingredients and keep things cold in the fridge until ready to serve with the pork.
4. When ready to cook the pork, I place a large cast iron (or other heavy bottom skillet) over high heat. Once the skillet is extremely hot, I add batches of the pork in and allow it to sear and caramelize for a few moments, promptly removing the pork once cooked.
5. I serve my lemongrass pork over rice or noodles, along with some of my cucumber-radish salad as an accompaniment.

Recipe

Lemongrass Pork

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This lemongrass pork with cucumber-radish salad is brimming with the Southeast Asian flavors of fresh lemongrass, ginger, garlic and lime!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Southeast Asian

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 248 calories (per serving)

Prep Time: 30 minutes (does not include marination)
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 42 minutes

Lemongrass Pork Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, very thinly shaved or sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced lemongrass
• 4 large cloves garlic (or 6 small cloves), pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
• ½ teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoons lime juice
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (optional)
• Avocado oil
• Salt
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Cucumber-Radish Salad Ingredients:

• 3 medium-large Persian cucumbers, very thinly sliced
• 4 large radishes, very thinly sliced
• ¼ cup shredded or grated carrots
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or lime juice
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint or cilantro, or combo of both

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Add the thinly shaved pork loin to a large bowl (or you can use a large ziplock bag), and set aside for a moment.
3. To a small bowl, add the lemongrass as well as the rest of the ingredients up to and including the chili garlic sauce (if using), and whisk together to blend your marinade. (If you find the lemongrass difficult to mince finely, you can add all of those marinade ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth.)
4. Pour this marinade over the pork, massaging it in a little bit, and allow it to marinate for two hours (even overnight for more flavor), or at least 1 hour.
5. While the pork marinates, gather and prep all of your cucumber-radish salad ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
6. To make the salad, add the cucumbers, radishes, shredded carrots and mint and/or cilantro to a bowl. Cover and keep cold. In a small dish, whisk together the chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar and a couple pinches of salt (the flavors should be tangy, salty and mildly spicy), and set aside in the fridge until ready to mix with the salad and serve.
7. Once the pork has marinated, use a paper towel to very lightly pat it dry of any excess marinade (most will have absorbed into the meat), to keep it from steaming too much in the skillet.
8. Place a large cast iron skillet (or other heavy-bottom pan that can get very, very hot) over high heat. Drizzle in a small amount of the avocado oil (about 2 teaspoons), and once screaming hot, work in batches to sear/caramelize the pork for about 2 to 3 minutes, just until browned around the edges. Remove from pan and repeat with the remaining pork until all the pork is seared.
9. Toss the cucumber-radish salad with its dressing, then serve the lemongrass pork along with some of the cucumber-radish salad with rice or noodles, if desired, topped with cilantro leaves.

Tips & Tidbits for my lemongrass pork recipe:

• Pork tenderloin for tender, quick cooking pork: I opt for pork tenderloin here and shave or slice it as thinly as possible, then cut into bite-size pieces. Tenderloin caramelizes quickly in a hot skillet and stays tender when cooked—it also takes on the flavors of the marinade exceptionally well.
• Cucumber-radish salad for cool crunch: I like a simple-yet-cool, crisp salad with some tangy-salty and mildly spicy flavor as a partner here, so I opt for a combo of sliced cucumber and radish with a bit of carrot. It's a lovely little accompaniment, but you can simply just use cucumbers if you prefer, or even saute up some greens on the side instead.
• Make things a bit spicy: If you'd like to add a bit more of a spicy note to the lemongrass pork, add a bit more of the chili garlic sauce to the marinade, as much as you'd like even. To keep things on the milder side for this recipe, I only add a small spoonful, but use your palate to guide your personal preference.

Hungry for more delicious Asian-inspired recipes? Check out my Korean BBQ Burger recipe, my recipe for Mongolian Beef, Spicy Pork with Noodles, Lemongrass Chicken, Vietnamese Fried Chicken, Beef Fried Rice, or even my recipe for Coconut Curry Shrimp!