I love a good pork butt. Love it. And yes, it's a little weird to eat a food that has the word butt in its name, but that is life (oh, butt and but, haha). Truth is, you can make this recipe with any old cut you'd like. I happen to love using pork butt for things other than pulled pork because I think it's a great cut and I love the flavor. But feel free to use center cut pork roast, pork loin, or pork tenderloin for this pineapple pork butt bowl. Heck, you could even use chicken if that's what floats your boat!
Marinating Proteins Creates Amazing Flavors
I love marinating things. Here's my philosophy: I cook a lot and eat a lot and I want to eat good food so I take the time to make good food. This is a commitment. When I make marinated food, this typically means I do a little prep the day before I cook something. This has the added benefit of lightening the load when cooking the next evening. I love this. There are so many marinade options, but I'd really been craving something with pineapple and coconut rice when I was testing this recipe. Pork is not chicken and pork (no matter the cut) is tougher than chicken. Another reason for the marinade: we need to tenderize this pork a bit before eating it.
Pineapple Pork Butt Bowl is Packed with Sweet & Savory Goodness
I've been getting into slightly sweet flavors with entrees lately. Anyone else love it a little sweet and a little savory? I did this recently with my dijon chicken with apples, leeks & fennel and it is so damn good. I'm doing it here again with my pineapple pork butt bowl and I am so pleased how this turned out. The savory-ness of the pork and soy flavors with the pineapple and coconut are crazy delicious. Some honey and brown sugar help highlight the sweet side of this as well and the result is just the right balance of sweet and savory goodness. And if you like a savory and sweet flavor profile with a spicy kick to it, you may be interested in my other pork butt stir fry with carrots and bok choy.
Easy Steps to Make Pineapple Pork Butt Bowl
Pineapple Pork Butt Bowl with Coconut Ginger Rice
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Description
Pineapple pork butt bowl is a savory and slightly sweet stir fry with awesome coconut ginger rice. You're going to love it.
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 3 large cloves of garlic, slice into thin rounds
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 12 ounces pineapple juice (I used 2 6-ounce cans - see note#1)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 ½ to 4 lb pork butt, fat trimmed and pork cubed (see note#2 for pork butt alternative)
*Mix marinade ingredients together, then add cubed pork butt
For the stir fry:
- One bunch of scallions, chopped long (2 inches each)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro, optional garnish
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 2 large cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 1 medium to large onion, cut into small chunks
- ¾ cup whole cashews, optional (can be salted or unsalted)
- 1 20-ounce can of pineapple slices, reserve the liquid from the can
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the coconut rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice (or other medium grain white rice)
- 1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups of chicken broth or water (or 1 cup broth and ½ cup water)
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 bunch of scallions, chopped into small pieces
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅔ cup pineapple juice (reserved from the can of sliced pineapples)
NOTE: Prep and cook time above does not include the OVERNIGHT marinade.
Instructions
- Make the marinade in a large bowl. Add all the above marinade ingredients to a bowl: thin-sliced garlic, fresh grated ginger, soy sauce, white vinegar, pineapple juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, honey, and brown sugar. Whisk together.
- Cut your pork butt in half so it’s more manageable. I sliced the pork butt into 1-inch slabs so it’s easier to then cut into strips and then into bite-sized cubes. You want to make sure the pieces are the same size so they cook evenly. Have your kitchen shears on hand because you will also need to cut fat from the pork as you go along.
- Once all the pork is cut into cubes, add it to the marinade. Push the pork down into the marinade and I usually fork it as well to help tenderize. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and marinate overnight.
- When you’re ready to cook, strain the pork butt in a colander with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid. Pick out the sliced garlic or it will burn when you cook the pork. Blot the pork with paper towels to make sure it’s as dry as you can get it. Let that sit while you finish the prep.
- Chop a bunch of scallions into longer pieces – about 2 inches in length each. These longer scallions are to cook with the pork. Put in small bowl.
- Chop another bunch of scallion into small pieces – this will be for the rice and additional garnish. Put in a different small bowl.
- Chop the cilantro and set aside.
- Peel and grate ginger. You will need one tablespoon for the rice and two teaspoons for cooking the stir fry. Keep them separate.
- Finely dice the garlic and mix with the two teaspoons of ginger for the pork stir fry.
- Cut your onion into small chunks and put in a bowl. I broke apart some of the larger pieces.
- For the rice plan your time. It takes about 25 minutes to cook the rice. You should thoroughly rinse your rice before using. I usually rinse it 3-4 times until the water is clear. Once washed, add the rice to a pot. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth and salt. Heat on high until it comes to a boil. Put on the lid and turn heat to a low simmer. Let it steam about 15 minutes like this. Remove from heat and keep covered another 5-10 minutes and it’s done. (see note#3)
- Open the can of pineapple slices and strain the juice into a cup. Don’t throw the juice away you will use this. Dice the pineapple slices into small chunks and set aside.
- For the stir fry sauce: Make a slurry in a bowl with one tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of water. Add soy sauce and the reserved pineapple juice from the canned pineapple. Mix together with a whisk.
- Heat two large pans on high heat with olive oil – about a tablespoon per pan. You don’t want to crowd the pan because that creates steam and we want to get a good sear on the pork. When the oil is hot, add the pork.
- Cook on high heat for about 3-4 minutes until the pork has a little crust on one side. Even though the pork was strained through the colander and blotted dry – juices may still accumulate. Carefully tilt your pan and spoon out the juices otherwise the pork will steam rather than sear.
- Once the pork has seared on one side, turn the pieces over and cook another 2 minutes. Have a spatula and kitchen tongs ready to turn the pork pieces.
- Once the pork is cooked and has a good sear you can combine the two pans of pork.
- Add the onion to the pan and stir.
- Add the large cut scallions to the pan and stir.
- Add the cashews, if using, to the pan and stir.
- Clear space in center of pan and add the garlic/ginger mix and a splash of oil on top of it.
- Let it cook in the center of the pan for 30 seconds while mixing gently. Then mix the garlic/ginger mix into the stir fry until well combined. Cook the mixture another minute or two while stirring.
- Last step: add the soy sauce/pineapple juice mixture and give the stir fry one final mix. Turn off the heat and let it thicken a bit.
- Start mixing the rice. Spoon out the cooked coconut rice into a large mixing bowl. Give it a mix on its own to break apart any clumps.
- Add the tablespoon of fresh grated ginger to the rice and mix it through evenly. It’s important to get that ginger evenly distributed in the rice.
- Add a handful of the small chopped scallions. You can use any remaining scallions for garnish.
- For serving, I spooned some of the rice into one bowl and the pineapple pork butt into another. Spoon some pineapple chucks on top of the pork butt bowl. Garnish with scallions and fresh chopped cilantro, if you’re using it. Serve the rest of pineapple, scallions and cilantro on the side for people who want more.
Equipment
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T-fal Non-Stick Pans (set of 3)
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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- I found it was easier to buy a six-pack of canned pineapple juice rather than a huge container. The cans are 6 ounces each. This way you can open what you need and save the rest for fruit smoothies or another recipe.
- I usually buy pork butt when it’s on sale and they were only selling larger pork butts. Mine was a little over 4 pounds. Anything from 3 ½ to 4 pounds is fine for this. Pork butts can be very fatty so remember there will be a lot of fat to cut off. We want some of the fat for flavor, but a lot gets cut off too. If you don’t want to use pork butt that is okay. You can use a center cut pork loin, tenderloin or pork roast. Or if you want to use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast that works too.
- I usually use my rice cooker to cook the rice and if you use that just put everything in the cooker and turn it on until the timer says it’s done.
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