Tender, soft eggplant paired with rich, savory cured meat, delivering a bold, salted fish-like flavor.
The eggplant, cooked without oil, takes on a comforting, home-style flavor, while the addition of cured meat makes up for the dish's otherwise plain color and aroma, making it even more irresistible.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
500 g (about 1 lb) round eggplant
Both long and round eggplants work well for this dish; choose ones with fewer seeds for the best results.
Additional Ingredients
80 g (about 3 oz) Chinese cured pork belly
Use either Sichuan-style or Cantonese-style cured pork belly, preferably with some fat for better flavor.
Seasonings
5 g (about 1 teaspoon) Shaoxing wine
10 g soy sauce
2 g sugar
2 g salt
Scallions, garlic, and cilantro - each to taste
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Peel the eggplant and cut it into 1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) thick strips (Image 2). Slice the cured meat (Image 3). Finely chop the scallion. Slice half the garlic and mince the other half. Cut the cilantro into small sections and set aside.
*If using Cantonese-style cured pork, there is no need to add sugar when stir-frying.
Stir-fry the cured meat until the fat turns translucent and begins to render.
Heat a wok to medium heat (about 50% hot), add enough oil, then stir-fry the cured meat over medium heat. Immediately add scallions and sliced garlic, turn the heat to high, and stir-fry until fragrant. Splash in a small amount of Shaoxing wine and flash-fry (see Figure 4).
*Lightly stir-fry the cured meat in oil just until fragrant; do not cook too long to prevent it from drying out.
Stir-fry the eggplant until softened and lightly browned, then set aside.
Step 3: Add the eggplant strips and stir-fry over high heat. Add salt (see image 5) and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the eggplant softens slightly, then add soy sauce and continue stir-frying for a bit longer.
*After adding the eggplant to the pan, it will quickly absorb all the oil in just a few stirs, but do not add more oil at this point—once the eggplant softens from cooking, the oil will be released again.
*Add salt to the eggplant as soon as it goes into the pan, as this helps it soften more quickly.
Braised Eggplant with Cured Pork Belly
④ Add enough hot water, bring to a boil over high heat, then add sugar, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes (Image 6). Once done, add chopped cilantro and minced garlic (Image 7), then stir-fry over high heat until well combined, and serve (Image 8).
*Don't add too much water when braising the eggplant—just a little is enough, as the eggplant will release its own moisture; too much water will dilute the flavor of the dish.
*The final addition of cilantro and garlic plays a crucial role, so use as much as possible. If there is slightly too much sauce, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry for a richer flavor.
