This is a simplified and shortcut version of my favorite Sichuan dish called Yu Xiang wherein eggplant pieces are coated in cornstarch, deep fried, and doused with a spicy garlic sauce. It’s better than takeout, for sure!
Yields 4 servings of Spicy Eggplant and Minced Pork.
The Preparation
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced crosswise
- 1 ounce pork rinds, crushed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 teaspoons low-carb brown sugar replacement
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
- 16 ounces ground pork
- 0.15 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 medium green onion, sliced, to garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, to garnish
The Execution
1. Soak eggplant pieces in salted water. Cover and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Wash and drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a wok, heat olive oil until hot. Add crushed red pepper flakes. Stir then remove from heat and let sit to steep. Strain.
3. Using all but 2 tablespoons of reserved oil, pour over eggplant pieces to coat. Dredge slightly damp eggplant pieces in crushed pork rinds.
4. To make the sauce mixture, combine stock, tamari, shaoxing wine, sweetener, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
5. Dry fry eggplant pieces. Remove and set aside.
6. Add reserved 2 tablespoons of reserved oil to wok. Saute garlic until aromatic.
7. Add ground pork and cook until no longer pink.
8. Return eggplant pieces and pour in sauce mixture.
9. Continue to cook until the eggplant is soft and the sauce is reduced. Stir in xanthan gum, as necessary, to thicken the sauce. Garnish with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
This makes a total of 4 servings of Spicy Eggplant and Minced Pork. Each serving comes out to be 518 calories, 41g fats, 6.8g net carbs, and 24.5g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 1 medium eggplant | 142 | 1 | 33.3 | 17 | 16.3 | 5.6 |
| 1 ounce pork rinds | 162 | 10.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.4 |
| 4 tablespoon olive oil | 477 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes | 17 | 0.9 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| 1/4 cup beef broth | 10 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 |
| 1 1/2 tablespoon coconut aminos | 17 | 0 | 4.4 | 0 | 4.4 | 0 |
| 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine | 12 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 |
| 2 teaspoon low-carb brown sugar replacement | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 teaspoon salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 teaspoon fresh garlic | 13 | 0 | 2.8 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| 16 ounce ground pork | 1193 | 96.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73.4 |
| 0.15 teaspoon xanthan gum | 2 | 0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 medium green onion | 10 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| 1 teaspoon sesame seeds | 15 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Totals | 2072 | 163.9 | 47.4 | 20.3 | 27.1 | 98.2 |
| Per Serving (/4) | 518 | 41 | 11.8 | 5.1 | 6.8 | 24.5 |
Spicy Eggplant and Minced Pork
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant sliced crosswise
- 1 ounce pork rinds crushed
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup beef broth
- 1 ½ tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 teaspoon low-carb brown sugar replacement
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoon fresh garlic minced
- 16 ounce ground pork
- 0.15 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 medium green onion sliced, to garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Soak eggplant pieces in salted water. Cover and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Wash and drain.
- Meanwhile, in a wok, heat olive oil until hot. Add crushed red pepper flakes. Stir then remove from heat and let sit to steep. Strain.
- Pour half of the reserved oil over eggplant pieces to coat. Dredge slightly damp eggplant pieces in crushed pork rinds. Dry fry eggplant pieces. Remove and set aside.
- To make the sauce mixture, combine stock, tamari, Shaoxing wine, sweetener, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
- Add remaining oil to the wok. Saute garlic until aromatic.
- Add ground pork and cook until no longer pink.
- Return eggplant pieces and pour in sauce mixture.
- Continue to cook until the eggplant is soft and the sauce is reduced. Stir in xanthan gum, as necessary, to thicken the sauce. Garnish with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
There is something seriously wrong with this recipe. This is clearly a translation from another recipe, and it seems a step or two must have been left out. For example, why sprinkle minced pork ind on the eggplant slices, and then just throw the eggplant in with everything else? The pork rind just comes off. The oil is not enough to put on the eggplant and sauté the garlic. And then there is the sauce, not enough to wet the other ingredients. No need for the thickener. Not enough there to thicken.
There are some interesting ideas in this recipe, but those ideas are not effectively described to implement them
This is an original recipe – you’re welcome to alter it to make it how you’d like, though. The pork rinds are just additional texture. Some will stick to the eggplant, some will crisp up on their own and add some crunch to the overall dish.
There are 4 tablespoons of oil in total. 2 tablespoons are used on the eggplant, 2 tablespoons are used on the garlic.
There’s 6 1/2 tablespoons of sauce (almost 1/2 cup). The xanthan gum says to use as needed – you don’t have to use it if you don’t find it neccessary.