Braised Eggplant with Minced Pork

Roumo Shao Qiezi (肉末烧茄子)

A spicy, meaty sauce envelops tender fried wedges of eggplant brightened with aromatic garlic, ginger, and scallion in this classic Chinese home style dish.

Braised Eggplant with Minced Pork, often simply known as Eggplant and Minced Pork (肉末茄子), is a classic comfort food for many Chinese households. It’s a simple homestyle dish with extraordinary flavor. The fried Eggplant is braised in a meat sauce made from minced Pork Belly, Garlic, Ginger, Pickled Red Chilies, and Sichuan Chili Bean Paste. Other than the minced Pork, the sauce is quite similar to that of Sichuan-style Red Braised Eggplant (红烧茄子), which is also a Fragrant-Spicy (香辣) Dish.

The minced Pork sauce is the key to this dish. It’s often made rather quickly at home by using Ground Pork. However, for better quality and flavor, I would highly recommend buying a small block of Pork Belly and mincing the meat with a cleaver. This offers more control over the fat ratio – ideally, a piece that’s about 50% fat and 50% meat. Minced Pork Belly, when stir-fried, tends to have a better flavor than Ground Pork and often develops a crispy texture. It’s the perfect balance between Ground Pork and Bacon Bits.

Frying the Eggplant until crispy might seem rather counterproductive in the following recipe, as the Eggplant will soften when braised in the meat sauce. The purpose of frying the Eggplant until crispy is NOT to end with a crispy final product. Rather, it is to, one, fully cook the Eggplant and, two, create an important texture that will allow the Eggplant to absorb plenty of the final sauce. The Eggplant could be steamed or par-cooked in an air-fryer instead for a healthier version of this dish, but do not skip the coating of white vinegar and cornstarch. The white vinegar helps to preserve the bright purple color and the cornstarch helps the sauce to adhere to the eggplant.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 20 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

200 grams of Pork Belly or Ground Pork

1 heaping Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste

Aromatics and Chilies
6 – 10 Pickled Red Chilies (about 15 grams)
4 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger
1 large fresh Shitake Mushroom

Garnish
1 green stalk of Small Scallion (小葱)

2 Eggplants (about 500 grams; preferably young Eggplants)
1 Tbsp. White Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Peanut Oil (Enough for Deep Frying)

Sauces
1 tsp. Chinese White Liquor (白酒)
1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
2 cups of Water

Seasonings
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. White Sugar

3 Tbsp. Corn Starch Slurry

Directions

1.) Wash off the Pork Belly and place it on a cutting board. Remove and discard the skin if present. Then, slice the Pork thinly and use two cleavers to mince the Pork. Set this minced Pork aside in a large bowl and add the Chili Bean Paste.

2.) Roughly mince the Pickled Red Chilies and place them on top of the minced Pork. Peel, smash, and roughly mince the Garlic and Ginger, placing them into the bowl with the minced Pork. Slice and then roughly dice the Shitake Mushroom, add them to the minced Pork.

3.) Thoroughly mix the Chili Bean Paste along with the Aromatics and Chilies into the minced Pork and set the mixture aside to marinate while preparing the other ingredients.

4.) Prepare the Garnish in advance by finely slicing the Scallion and setting it aside on a plate.

(Also prepare the Corn Starch Slurry at this time if not already made).

5.) Wash the Eggplants, pat them dry with paper towels, and cut off both ends of each Eggplant, creating cylinders. Cut the Eggplant into 2-inch wedges by starting at the edge, cutting at a 45-degree angle, rotating cut-side up, cutting again, and repeating all the way down the length of the Eggplant. Place the wedges in a large bowl and then repeat the process with the other Eggplant.

6.) Add the White Vinegar and Cornstarch to the Eggplant wedges and toss everything together to combine them.

(The Vinegar will help to preserve the bright colors of the Eggplant when it’s cooking as it prevents oxidation and discoloration).

7.) Fill a seasoned wok at least 1/3 full, but no more than 1/2 full, with Peanut Oil and heat on medium until hot.

8.) Fry the Eggplant for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until the exterior is ultra-crispy. Then strain out the Eggplant by pouring the Oil into a wire strainer set over a large pot. Spread out the Eggplant on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to keep them crispy.

9.) Quickly add a few tablespoons of Peanut Oil back to the wok, heat it on medium-high, and add the minced Pork. Stir-fry the mixture vigorously to keep the Pork from sticking and cook the meat until the pieces separate easily.

10.) Pull the wok away from heat, add the White Liquor and Dark Soy Sauce, return the wok to heat, and continue to stir-fry vigorously until the meat is fully cooked.

11.) Pour in the Water, bring the sauce to a low boil, and then add all of the Seasonings (Soy Sauce, Salt, and Sugar).

12.) Return the Eggplant to the wok and toss gently for about 10 seconds until all the pieces are coated in the sauce. Then, add the Corn Starch Slurry and allow the sauce to thicken briefly.

13.) Pour the Braised Eggplant with Minced Pork into a bowl, sprinkle with finely sliced Scallion, and serve.

 

Contribute to Sichuan Soul

Sichuan Soul is funded in part thanks to generous contributions by fans like you! Your donations supply Sichuan Soul with the funding needed to provide quality recipes and photos. All donations are processed safely and securely through PayPal. You can donate any amount using the 'Donate' button below. Thank you for your support.

 

Privacy Policy