The Slice-and-Spice Pork You Freeze Before You Prep

For this month's Sunday Stash, we're putting together several meals worth of thinly sliced, subtly spiced pork that's ready to be turned into dinner at a moment's notice.
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The Sunday Stash is a large batch of one simple, easy-to-make food that can be mix-and-matched with meat, vegetables, grains, and pasta to create meals throughout the week (or, if frozen, the month).

The best time to start prepping this month's Sunday Stash is right after you get home from the grocery store. Don't even stop to put the rest of the groceries away—just unwrap those pork tenderloins you picked up (hopefully you bought at least 3 pounds), place them in a baking dish, and pop them into the freezer for 30-60 minutes. You don't want the meat to freeze all the way through; you just want to make it easier to slice.

While the pork is firming up in the freezer, go ahead and unpack your shopping bags. By the time everything has been put away, it'll be time to finish prepping the pork by slicing it super thin (1/8"-thick pieces are perfect) and tossing those slices with a simple spice rub made with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and brown sugar. Stash that spiced pork in the freezer in resealable, quart-size bags and you'll have seasoned pork, ready to cook at a moment's notice, for up to three months.

The beauty of slicing the meat this thin is that it defrosts in only 10 minutes, thus eliminating the oh-no-I-forgot-to-defrost-something conundrum I often find myself in come 6:30pm. Once defrosted, the thin slices cook in just five minutes. And since the seasoning is so versatile, it makes the perfect base for countless quick weeknight dinners. Here are some of my favorites:

If you're serving the sliced pork in a soup, no need to defrost—just add the frozen pork directly to the boiling broth to cook through.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Simon Andrews

1. Make a Faux Pho

An authentic pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, is made with a rich chicken or beef broth simmered over the course of a few hours. But you can make a satisfying, pork-topped imitation in just a few minutes. Best part? You don't even need to defrost the pork. Just add the frozen meat directly to boiling homemade or store-bought broth and simmer until the pork is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Add cooked rice noodles and top with fresh basil and cilantro, a sprinkling of fish sauce, and a squeeze of lime. A final drizzle of Sriracha for the spice lovers is optional but highly recommended.

2. Add to an Italian-Style Sandwich

Sauté the pork in olive oil and pile onto a soft sandwich bun with garlicky broccoli rabe and plenty of Provolone or mozzarella.

3. Turn Into Tacos

The spice rub on the pork lends itself beautifully to many Mexican-inspired preparations: burritos, tostadas, cemitas, or, our favorite, simple corn-tortilla tacos. Top with a vinegary slaw, plenty of cilantro, and the hot sauce of your choice.


This stir-fry was made with sliced red peppers and snap peas, but would be just as good with broccoli florets, green beans, cabbage, or any other vegetables you have languishing in the fridge.


4. Throw Into a Stir-Fry

If you've got this pork in your freezer and vegetables you need to use up in your crisper, you have the makings of a fantastic stir-fry. Follow our primer for more details on how to prep and cook the components.

5. Serve on a Salad

Toss the seared pork on top of a bed of hearty greens like kale, escarole, or romaine hearts, preferably dressed with a garlicky vinaigrette.

6. Combine With Noodles

Try the pork with peanutty noodles or this basil-cashew vermicelli, which I could happily eat every day of my life.

7. Press Into a Cubano

Layer the cooked pork onto buttered Cuban bread (Italian or French bread will do in a pinch) along with a few slices of ham, Swiss cheese, some pickles, and a good smear of mustard. Spread butter over the outside of the sandwich (don't skip this step—trust us), wrap the sandwich in foil, and press in a panini press, on a grill, or on a hot cast-iron pan with a foil-wrapped brick or heavy pan on top of it for about 5-8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bread has gotten crisp and toasted.

8. Add to Chilaquiles

Cook the pork, slice into strips, and throw it into chilaquiles. Serve for dinner topped with fried eggs.

Pan-seared pork paired with hummus and crispy vegetables makes a crowd-pleasing sandwich filling.


9. Wrap It Up

Sauté the pork in a little olive or vegetable oil until cooked through. Spread a layer of hummus over a lavash, tortilla, or other flatbread; top with the pan-seared pork, and crisp vegetables—shredded lettuce, thinly sliced cucumbers or radishes, chopped tomatoes all work well here, as do pickled red onions. Got some garlicky yogurt or hot sauce on hand? Throw some of that in there too, then wrap it up and serve with chips.

10. Make Fried Rice

Pull out your biggest nonstick or cast-iron skillet for this one, because you'll need a lot of surface area to crisp up the pork and rice. We have lots of recipes for fried rice, but you don't need to follow one to make it—just remember that it works best with leftover rather than freshly made rice. Top it with egg "noodles" if you're feeling fancy.

11. Use as a Flavorful Topping

Finely chop the defrosted pork. Cook in a hot, well-oiled pan until crisp and brown. Drain on paper towels, then use to top your favorite risotto or polenta recipe.