Stir-Fried Garlic Eggplant with Pork

One more recipe from Grace Young’s Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge. This time it’s eggplant and pork. The original recipe is okay but nothing spectacular. But add a bit of  this

And woo boy does this dish come alive!

Adapted from Grace Young’s Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge
Paleo diet ingredient substitution in red.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz ground pork
• 1 teaspoon +1/4 cup cooking oil (avocado oil)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic + 2 smashed garlic cloves
• 3 (about 1 lb) medium Asian eggplants, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2″ thick slices
• 1/4 cup Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 scallion, minced (reserve 2 teaspoons for marinade)
• 1/4 cup Chicken broth (optional)

Marinade:

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (Tamari)
• 1 teaspoon Chicken broth (or cold water)
• 2 teaspoon minced scallion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoon soy sauce (Tamari)
• 2 tablespoon Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce (1 tablespoon fish sauce)
• 1/4 cup Chicken broth (or cold water)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine pork and marinade ingredients. Stir until pork has absorbed all of the broth (liquid). In another small bowl, combine ingredients for sauce.

Heat a wok or heavy-bottomed skillet on high heat. Swirl in 1 teaspoon cooking oil (avocado oil) and add pork mixture. Stir fry for 30 seconds or until the pork is opaque and still slightly rare. Remove from wok and set aside.

Swirl in remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Add 1 tablespoon chopped garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds. Add eggplant and stir fry for 2 minutes. The eggplant will absorb all the oil and the flesh will change color. Swirl in rice wine and immediately cover the wok, reduce heat to medium and cook for 30-60 seconds.  Uncover and sprinkle sugar over eggplant. Swirl in sauce mixture and stir fry for 1 minute. Return the pork to the wok, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Use a knife to check if the eggplant is just tender. If not, cover and cook again for another 1 minute. Uncover and stir fry for 15 seconds. If the eggplant is sticking to the bottom of the wok, add a couple of tablespoons (up to 4 tablespoons=1/4 cup) of the optional chicken broth. Add the 2 smashed garlic cloves, cover and remove the wok from the heat. Let sit for 1 minute or until the pork is cooked through. Sprinkle on remaining minced scallions and serve.