Bacon and Capsicum Stir Fry

Long, Long Ago, Far, Far Away … There was a Chinese lunch spot near one of my clients. Many afternoons once the lunch rush was done, myself and my associates would wander in for lunch. (Thanks, Moses!)

One of the signature dishes was Fresh Bacon and Capsicum, I do so miss those days and those meals.

Moving along, I find myself at the local farm market, and in the freezer, there is fresh, thick-cut, uncured bacon. In the actual market are stoplight peppers and sashiko pepper. Seems like fate has decreed that I shall cook stir fry this night.

I’ll add extra sauce to make sure there is some liquid to spoon over the rice I’ll serve with this. Perhaps I’ll add a cold beer to round out the meal.

Onc can substitute smoked tofu to take this as a vegetarian dish.

From Wikipeida:

Stir frying (Chinese: 炒; pinyin: chǎo) is a Chinese cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. It is similar to sautéing in Western cooking technique.

Scholars think that wok (or pan) frying may have been used as early as the Han dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) for drying grain, not for cooking, but it was not until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) that the wok reached its modern shape and allowed quick cooking in hot oil. Well into the 20th century, while only restaurants and affluent families could afford the oil and fuel needed for stir fry, the most widely used cooking techniques remained boiling and steaming. Stir fry cooking came to predominate over the course of the century as more people could afford oil and fuel, and in the West spread beyond Chinese communities.

Stir frying and Chinese food have been recommended as both healthy and appealing for their skillful use of vegetables, meats, and fish which are moderate in their fat content and sauces which are not overly rich, provided calories are kept at a reasonable level.

Bacon and Capsicum

A quick tasty stir fry. Can be made spicy.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Asian, Chinese, Indo-Chinese

Servings 4

Calories 172 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 ea Bell Peppers Stoplight peppers for Color
• 6 strips Bacon See the notes
• 1 ea Onion See the notes
• 1 tbsp Oil Avocado for high heat
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce Low Sodium
• Kosher Salt To taste, See the notes

Instructions

 

• Wash and Seed peppers, cut to 1 inch squares
• If using yellow onion, peel and cut to 1-inch petals
• If using thick cut bacon cut to 1-inch squares (see notes)
• In a large sautee pan, or wok, heat oil on medium high heat until it spiders
• Add the onion and sear, after 30 seconds add the bacon and spread
• After 2-3 minutes, (the bacon is 1/2 cooked) add the bell peppers
• Stir and toss for 2-3 minutes, peppers should be tender-crisp
• Add the soy sauce, continue to stir / toss, until the peppers and bacon are cooked and have a glossy look
• Move to a serving platter and serve with a side of rice.

Notes

Let’s talk peppers; I add sashiko peppers and get a good blister on them. One can use various banana peppers, both sweet and hot; I like a bit of a bite in this dish.

BACON!!! –  When I can find it, I use pork belly in this and get a good sear from the wok, usually I wind up with a good quality thick-cut bacon.  I do try to avoid the wafer-thin, see-through, economy-sliced bacon. But, if it is what you have, it is as it is, the dish will still be great.

I’ve made this dish with chicken, beef, shrimp, but it truly is a BACON dish.

Onions, I try to use a bunch of washed and sliced (1-inch sections) green onions in this, but again a yellow onion will work just as well.

I have made a sauce similar to any of my noodle sauces (use the search bar, Luke!) in place of the straight soy sauce, but I am trying to keep this recipe quick and simple.

Salt, this all depends on the bacon, taste, season, and balance the taste.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 470mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 36IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!