Garlic Scapes with Pork Stir-Fry
A classic Chinese home-style dish featuring tender garlic scapes with savory pork, finished with a delicious charred edge. The technique of adding splashes of water and steaming creates perfectly soft scapes with authentic wok hei flavor.
Story
This recipe transforms simple ingredients into something extraordinary. The key is the steam-fry technique that gives the garlic scapes that coveted charred appearance while keeping them tender.
Ingredients
garlic scapes
1 bunch (about 300g)
pork belly
150g
vegetable oil
3 tablespoons
salt
1 teaspoon
ginger
2 slices
garlic cloves
3 cloves
dried red chilies
3-4 pieces
green onions
2 stalks
water
4-5 tablespoons
Instructions
1
Prep the ingredients
Trim the ends off the garlic scapes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Slice the pork belly thinly, then cut into fine strips. Thinly slice the ginger. Roughly chop the garlic and slice the dried chilies diagonally. Cut the green onions into short sections.
2
Blanch the garlic scapes
Heat your wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic scapes and stir-fry vigorously for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with half the salt, then add a splash of water around the edge of the wok (not directly on the vegetables). Cover and steam for 30 seconds. Repeat this water-splash-steam process 2-3 times until the scapes become tender and develop slight charred spots. Remove and set aside.
3
Cook the pork
Add the remaining oil to the wok. Toss in the ginger, garlic, and dried chilies, stir-frying briefly until fragrant. Add the pork strips and cook on high heat, stirring constantly, until the meat changes color and releases its juices.
4
Combine and serve
Return the par-cooked garlic scapes to the wok. Add the remaining salt and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes until well combined and heated through. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately over steamed rice.
