Pork with Thai Peanut Sauce

I want to tell a quick story that has absolutely nothing to do with food, but it's true and it's funny.  First I must confess that I bruise easily, am always in a rush, and am a klutz.  Not a good combination.  So last week I was in urgent care dealing with the lingering symptoms of one of my more spectacular recent bruises and the doctor looked at me, squinted his eyes, and said "maybe you should slow down a little".  What? How did he know?  OK, maybe my one or two other bruises were a clue.  I explained to him that really I'm just a klutz.  He gave me a slight smile and said "well, if you slow down you might still run into things but you won't bruise as much".  A doctor with a sense of humor!  I like this guy.  For a moment I considered changing my blog name to "The Black and Blue Blogger" but that was too much alliteration.

OK, enough silliness and on to the recipe.  This is truly one of my all-time favorites.  It's warm without being overly spicy, and it's really all about the sauce.  Peanut butter and salsa might sound weird but trust me, it works.  The recipe calls for boneless pork chops which can often turn out dry, but are nice and juicy here because they're cut into strips and cooked quickly.  I tried the recipe once with pork tenderloin strips reasoning that they might be even more tender, but I actually prefer the pork chop strips.  The pork tenderloin tended to be too soft when cut into strips.  I usually serve this dish over brown rice but it would certainly work with white rice or even pasta.  Of course if you like spicy food, feel free to add in some crushed red pepper or minced jalapenos.

***for a printable recipe version click here***

Pork with Thai Peanut Sauce
4 servings

18 oz boneless pork chops, cut into stir fry strips
1-1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (I use half toasted white and half black)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 cups hot cooked brown or white rice

For sauce, combine salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, molasses and water in a medium saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring often.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large plastic bag combine chili powder, ginger, garlic salt and pepper.  Add pork strips and shake until the pork is coated with spices.  In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat; cook and stir pork strips for 2-3 minutes.

Spoon the rice onto plates.  Pour sauce over the rice, arrange pork strips over the sauce, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.