20-MINUTE THAI BASIL STIR-FRY

Some recipes are made once. Others immediately earn a place in the weekly rotation.

This Thai Basil Stir-Fry has everything we want from a staple dinner: one skillet, 20 minutes, plenty of fresh flavor, and the flexibility to use whichever Force of Nature grind you have on hand.

The key is to treat the ground meat like a smash burger. Press it into a ripping-hot skillet and leave it alone until a deep crust develops. From there, add crisp bell pepper, green onion, plenty of Thai basil, and a punchy garlic-ginger sauce that turns glossy as it cooks.

Serve it over steamed rice with crisp lettuce and plenty of lime. Make it with venison tonight, beef next week, and bison the week after. This one’s built to stay in the rotation.

INGREDIENTS:

STIR-FRY

• 1 lb Force of Nature ground venison (or whatever Force of Nature grind you prefer)
• 1 tbsp Force of Nature Beef Tallow or avocado oil
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, sliced with the white and green parts separated
• 2 cups loosely packed Thai basil leaves
• Toasted sesame seeds, for serving

SAUCE

• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp local honey
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp fish sauce

FOR SERVING

• Steamed white rice
• Crisp lettuce leaves
• Fresh lime wedges

PREPARATION:

Remove the ground meat from the refrigerator while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Taking some of the chill off helps it sear more evenly once it hits the pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, Thai chili, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and fish sauce, if using. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Let it get properly hot before adding the tallow or avocado oil, followed by the ground meat. A hot pan is the difference between deeply browned meat and meat that simply steams.

Press the grind firmly into the skillet like a smash burger, creating as much contact with the pan as possible. Then leave it alone. Let a deep, golden brown crust develop before breaking the meat apart and continuing to cook.

Add the bell pepper and white parts of the green onions. Stir-fry until just tender while keeping a little crunch.

Add the Thai basil and green onion tops. Two cups may look like a lot, but the basil wilts quickly, use a generous hand here. Toss just until fragrant.

Pour in the sauce and toss until everything is evenly coated. Let it cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce reduces and turns glossy.

Finish with toasted sesame seeds and serve over steamed white rice with crisp lettuce and plenty of fresh lime.

Enjoy!