Stir-Fried Cabbage and Pork in Fish Sauce Butter

Ground pork, cabbage and a little butter come together fast in this stir-fry, with fish sauce and lime for a salty, tangy finish. Spoon it over rice for an easy weeknight dinner.

Serves 4 · 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
• 1 pound ground pork
• Salt and pepper
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 pound green or red cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
• Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up as it goes, until no pink remains.
2. Stir in the scallions, garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Move the pork to a plate.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the same skillet. Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until crisp-tender with golden spots.
4. Return the pork and any juices to the pan. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, crushed red pepper and the last tablespoon of butter, and mix well.
5. Turn off the heat, season to taste and stir in the cilantro.
6. Spoon over bowls of rice, top with more cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Tips

• For more heat, use a thinly sliced bird's-eye chile in place of the crushed red pepper.

Adapted from Kay Chun, NYT Cooking.