Today’s recipe is a cult classic I’ve chased for years. The un-inspiring name Chinese Eggplant and Minced Pork, often used on menus, does it no justice! It’s a flavour explosion, the saucy version of Sichuan Fish Fragrant Eggplant – sweet, savoury, tangy, and a little bit spicy. This one is a personal favourite!

Spicy Sichuan Chinese eggplant with minced pork

Lovers of Sichuan food – rejoice! Remember Chef Hannah, our Chinese chef at RTM who cracked the Beef in Black Bean Sauce recipe? She’s back, with another copycat I begged her to master – Chinese eggplant with minced pork!

You know the dish I mean – the one with those slippery soft eggplant batons with a little bit of pork mince, smothered in a fierce looking (though surprisingly mild) glossy sauce packed with in-your-face savoury flavours and little bits of chilli.

It’s a Sichuan classic I’ve been on a mission to recreate for years, but just couldn’t get the flavour quite right. I finally caved and asked Hannah to copy a restaurant version – and boom! She made 6 versions in one evening, one after the other, and cracked the code!

Bonus: This recipe calls for a trip to the Asian store but that said, our supermarket-sub version is so good, we’d have happily shared it – if we hadn’t already tasted the OG!.

A bit about today’s recipe

Today’s dish is Sichuan Fish Fragrant Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi), a popular eggplant stir fry in China made with a little bit of pork mince, semi-braised and stir fried in a sauce that’s savoury, sweet, a bit tangy and a bit spicy. Sometimes it’s saucy, other times it’s not.

Here in Australia, the version of this dish that’s popular is saucy, and is typically listed on menus with the thoroughly un-imaginative name “Eggplant with pork mince”, though sometimes restaurants will go rogue and add something to the name like “braised with chilli and vinegar” (wild, I know!).

Our recipe is specifically based on the one served at Taste of Shanghai, a well known Chinese restaurant chain here in Sydney I’ve been frequenting for decades. Better known for their dumplings but they have other standout offerings including this eggplant and pork dish.

The greatest compliment of all

Hannah, in case you don’t know, is a chef on my food bank team and comes from a long line of chefs from China’s Szechuan province. She even sent this recipe to her father (a brilliant chef himself), and his only feedback was, “needs more oil.”

If you know Asian foodie families, that’s high praise – basically code for, “perfect, you nailed it, it’s amazing, 12 out of 10!” Because no one’s a tougher critic than family!

And that is how you know this recipe is dead-set legit. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Thank you Chef Hannah. I have such admiration for your cooking skills and hope to bring many more to our readers in the years to come!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need. Don’t be put off by unfamiliar ingredients—we tested this with regular grocery store substitutes and were blown away. Honestly, if Chef Hannah hadn’t already cracked the Rolls Royce version, I’d have stuck to the alternative version for myself (though I probably wouldn’t have dared publish it – you’ll see why!)

1. STIR FRY sauce

There’s quite a generous amount of sauce in this dish which is glossy and thickened so it coats the eggplant beautifully. Here’s what goes in it:

• Soy sauces – Dark soy makes the sauce darker and adds stronger soy flavour while light soy is more for salt. Substitutions:

  • dark soy with light soy (expect a lighter sauce colour and slightly less flavour)

  • light soy with any all-purpose soy sauce.

  • do not sub the light soy with dark soy (way too strong!)

• Chinese black vinegar – Looks like balsamic vinegar and tastes a bit like it too but with a slight savoury edge. Available at Asian stores and some large supermarkets, though honestly I wouldn’t get it just for the small amount required in this recipe. Substitute with half balsamic vinegar and half rice vinegar instead (it’s pretty close).

• Honey and sugar – To balance the tang and savoury in the sauce. Sugar just adds sweetness whereas just 1 teaspoon of honey, while also adding sweetness, makes the sauce clear and really glossy rather than cloudy. Awesome cooking tip from Hannah!

• Cornflour / cornstarch – Thickens the sauce and makes it beautifully shiny.

2. Speciality add-ins

These two ingredients are essential for an authentic version of this dish – the pickled red chilli was actually the final piece of the puzzle that Chef Hannah figured out to crack the recipe!

But don’t be daunted if they sound unfamiliar or you don’t live near an Asian grocery store. Read on for substitutions.

• Chinese broad bean sauce (doubanjiang) – A fermented paste made from broad beans, soybeans, salt, and often chilli. Savoury, salty, and packed with umami. We use the spicy Sichuan version (Pixian doubanjiang), famous for dishes like Mapo Tofu. Find it at Asian grocers.

• Pickled red chilli (salted chillies) – Chopped, salted Chinese red chillies, used in the original Taste of Shanghai dish. You’ll see flecks in the final dish! It adds a mild spicy tang because we only use 1 teaspoon.

  We use Tan Tan Xiang brand, but you can substitute with finely chopped pickled hot peppers (like Hoyts brand), or even jalapeños (yes, really!). Skip if you really fear spice, but you’ll lose a layer of flavour (because it adds salt and tang too).

Substitutions

No Asian grocer nearby? Try one of these combinations using supermarket ingredients. It’s 92% as good – our whole team was impressed!

• Option 1: 2 tsp miso paste + 3 tsp sambal oelek + 1 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers (like Hoyts)

• Option 2: 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce* + 2 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers

*Chilli bean sauce (Toban Djan) is different from doubanjiang but still works well here. Lee Kum Lee brand is sold at some Coles and Woolworths in Australia, plus Asian stores and online (Amazon here).

3. STIR FRY ADD-INS

And here are the things that go in the stir fry. There’s only a small amount of pork – just 100g/3.5oz – compared to the amount of eggplant which is how it’s supposed to be.

• Pork – This is the traditional meat though if you can’t consume it, it will work with chicken or turkey too, though these meats are leaner.

• Eggplant (aubergine in the UK) – You’ll need one large or two medium eggplants. No need to peel the skin – the bitterness is mostly bred out these days. But if you prefer, go ahead and peel using a potato peeler.

• Oil – For cooking the eggplant and stir fry. Traditionally, the eggplant is deep-fried for that soft, silky texture only oil can give. But we also tested it with my favourite pan-steamed method using just 2 tablespoons of oil – and it was still fantastic! The bold sauce makes up for it, and I’ve happily made the lighter version on Tuesday nights.

• Garlic and ginger – A good amount is essential aromatic flavour base for this recipe!

• Green onion – Use the white part for cooking, and the dark green part for garnish.

How to cook Chinese eggplant with minced pork

Firstly, choose a method to cook the eggplant. Fried in about 1 cup of oil for the authentic method which will make the eggplant beautifully silky. Or, pan steamed for a healthier version.

1. Fry eggplant (authentic method)

A wok is best as the curved shape of the wok means you get more frying surface area using less oil, then you can use the wok for cooking.

1. Fry – Heat the oil on high heat until it is 180°C/350°F. Fry the eggplant in two batches for around 4 minutes each until lightly browned.

2. Remove the eggplant from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

   Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the oil in the wok which we will use to cook the eggplant. The oil can be re-used for any cooking purpose as it is clean.

No wok but want to fry the eggplant? Use a medium saucepan and fill with 2 cm / 0.8″ oil. Fry eggplant per recipe. Then cook the remainder of the recipe in a pan rather than wok.

2. pan-steamed (less-oil method)

This is a method of cooking eggplant I’ve previously shared where it is pan-fried them steamed. You’ll need a large pan with a lid to trap the steam to use this method. It then makes sense to use the same pan for cooking in, though you could switch to a wok if you want to.

1. Brown – Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat in a non-stick pan. Place the eggplant in and lightly brown the flesh-side of each piece – around 90 seconds on each side.

2. Pan-steam – Carefully pour 1/3 cup of water around the eggplant (it will steam on contact, so be careful here). Then quickly place the lid on to trap the steam and cook for 2 minutes until the water has evaporated and the eggplant is cooked all the way through (check with a butter knife). If needed, add a bit more water and continue steaming.

3. cooking

As with all stir-fries, this moves quick! So make sure you have all your ingredients out and ready to toss into into the wok or pan.

1. Mix sauce – Put the cornflour/cornstarch into a jug with the light soy sauce first and mix until lump free. Then add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix to combine. This order matters – cornflour mixes in faster in a small amount of liquid, avoiding lumps.

2. Cook – After cooking the eggplant and removing the excess oil, return the wok to high heat. Cook the pork for 1 to 2 minutes, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see pink. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Add the pickled chilli and broad bean sauce, cook for 1 minute. This will stain the meat an appealing reddish colour.

4. Eggplant – Add the cooked eggplant into the wok.

5. Add sauce in 2 batches – Add half the sauce. Stir gently for about 30 to 45 seconds until the sauce starts to thicken (like a maple syrup consistency). Then add the remaining sauce and cook for another 45 seconds to 1 minute until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.

6. Sauce thickness – You want the sauce to have a thickness between honey and maple syrup, so it coats the eggplant beautifully. It will thicken a little more as it cools a bit between going from the wok to serving plate to table to serving yourself.

   Then you’re done – ready to pour into a serving bowl!

Serving

Serve this in a shallow bowl-plate (like pictured) or a regular bowl – something to hold all the sauce in and make serving easier. Flat plates just make you chase the eggplant around!

Rice is essential. The way it soaks up the sauce is unbeatable, especially since the eggplant turns so soft and silky it practically melts into it.

Which brings me to the next point – no chopsticks. No need to prove a point here – of course I can use chopsticks! – this is a spoon dish. Scoop and shovel! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Chinese eggplant and minced pork – Sichuan Fish Fragrant Eggplant

Recipe video above. Tried making this iconic Sichuan dish before and been underwhelmed? This  one’s the real deal! Called Yu Xiang Qie Zi, this is straight from our RTM Chef Hannah, born and raised in the Sichuan province of China, a family of chefs at that! Even her chef father gave this recipe his rare stamp of approval.🙌🏻

For full authenticity, grab broad bean sauce and pickled chilli from an Asian store. That said, our supermarket-sub version is so good, we’d have happily shared it – if we hadn’t already tasted the OG!

Traditionally, the eggplant is deep fried (and yes, that’s why it’s so melt-in-your-mouth good). But see Note 1 for a fantastic no-fry pan-steamed option! Spiciness – Low mild. There's not that much chilli in it!

Course Mains, Stir Fries

Cuisine Chinese, Sichuan

Keyword Chinese eggplant with minced pork, eggplant stir fry, fish fragrant eggplant, sichuan eggplant, Yu Xiang Qie Zi

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 5

Calories 383cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil , or canola, sunflower oil (Note 1 for no-fry version)
• 1 large eggplant or 2 medium/small (450 to 500g), cut into 7 x 1.5cm batons (2.7 x 0.6″), skin on (Note 2)
• 100g / 3.5 oz pork mince / ground pork (Note 3)
• 1 tbsp ginger , finely minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic , finely minced
• 1 green onion , finely sliced, white & pale green part (for cooking) separated from the green part (garnish)
• 1 tsp pickled red chilli , or any pickled spicy peppers (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp broad bean sauce , we use Pixian doubanjiang, the spicy Sichuan version(Note 5)

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 7)
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 7)
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 1/2 tsp black vinegar (Note 8)
• 1/2 cup water

Serving:

• Steamed white rice

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• ABBREVIATED – Mix sauce. Fry eggplant until soft. Keep 2T oil. Cook pork 2 min, then garlic, ginger and white part green onion for 30 sec. Cook chilli + broad bean sauce 1 min. Add eggplant and sauce in 2 batches, once thickened, serve!

FULL RECIPE:

• Sauce – Mix the cornflour and light soy in a jug until lump free. Add the remaining Sauce ingredients and mix to combine. Set aside.
• Fry eggplant – Heat oil in a wok on high heat until hot – 180°C/350°F. Add half of the eggplant and fry for around 4 minutes, stirring and turning gently a few times, until soft all the way through and a bit browned on the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined tray. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
• Remove oil – Carefully remove the leftover oil from the wok except 2 tablespoons, for cooking.
• Stir fry – Cool the wok slightly then return to high heat. Add the pork and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see pink. Add garlic, ginger, white part of the green onion. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add pickled red chilli and broad bean sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
• Add sauce – Give the Sauce a quick mix (to dissolve settled cornflour). Add eggplant, then add half the Sauce into the wok, toss gently until the sauce starts thickening – about 30 to 45 seconds. Add remaining Sauce, toss gently for 45 seconds until it thickens (goal: between maple syrup and honey).
• Serve – Turn off heat. Pour into a serving bowl, sprinkle with green onion. Serve with rice.

Healthier pan-steamed eggplant option:

• Brown eggplant – Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non-stick pan (with lid) over medium high heat. Pan fry eggplant for 1 1/2 minutes on each side until lightly browned.
• Steam – Carefully add 1/3 cup water around the eggplant (it will steam, so be careful). Immediately cover with a lid to trap the steam. Steam for 2 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the eggplant is soft all the way through (if needed, add more water and keep steaming).
• Proceed – Transfer eggplant to a plate. Proceed with recipe using the large non stick pan rather than wok.

Notes

1. No fry version – based on this pan steamed eggplant recipe I’ve previously shared. End dish is not as luxurious because of less oil, but still an excellent mid-week healthier version as all the flavour is still there!

2. Eggplant – This recipe calls for regular eggplant, not Asian ones, so you can cut batons the way restaurants do for this dish. To cut – I cut into 1.5cm / 0.6″ rounds, then cut each circle into batons. Skin removal – These days, bitterness in the skin has been largely bred out. I’ve never had a problem. If you’re concerned, just peel the skin off (I use a potato peeler).

3. Meat – Pork is traditional. Chicken and turkey will also work though the meat will be a little drier (it’s just what it is).

4. Pickled red chilli (also called salted chillies) – Chopped, salted Chinese red chillies used in the original Taste of Shanghai dish. We use Tan Tan Xiang brand (from Asian grocers). Sub with finely chopped pickled hot peppers like Hoyts, or even pickled jalapeños (yes, really!). Adds spicy tang – skip it for less heat, but you’ll lose a flavour layer. 

5. Chinese broad bean sauce (doubanjiang) is a fermented paste made from broad beans, soybeans, and salt, often with chilli. It’s savoury, salty, and packed with umami. We use the spicy Sichuan version (Pixian doubanjiang) which is the most well known and used in dishes like Mapo Tofu. Excellent no Asian-store subs – see Note 6!

6. Can’t get to an Asian store? Use one of these regular grocery shop options instead of pickled red chilli and broad bean sauce – end result is 92% as good! (We were pretty amazed):

Option 1: 2 tsp miso, 3 tsp sambal oelek, 1 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers
Option 2: 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce*, 2 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers

* Toban Djan – Lee Kum Lee brand is sold at some Coles and Woolworths in Australia, plus Asian stores and online (Amazon here).

7. Soy sauces – Dark soy makes the sauce darker and adds stronger soy flavour, light soy is more for salt. Substitutions:

• dark soy with light soy (expect lighter sauce colour and slightly less flavour)
• light soy with any all-purpose soy
• do not sub the light soy with dark soy (way too strong!)

8. Chinese black vinegar – Looks like balsamic vinegar, tastes like it too but with a slight savoury edge. Available at Asian stores and some large supermarkets. Substitute with half balsamic vinegar and half rice vinegar (it’s pretty close).

Leftovers will keep for 3 days though note that eggplant softens and sweats. Truly best eaten freshly made!

Nutrition

Calories: 383cal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Jeff’s breakfast hasn’t changed in the 13 years I’ve been taking Dozer to the beach: cappuccino, toasted ham and cheese croissant and a blueberry muffin.

The entire cafe staff know my order off by heart, and they start toasting the croissant as soon as they see my car pull up, even before I get out! 😂 (8 Knots Cafe next door to the park)

That’s Jeff below, and his adorable companion Cubby. He looks after Bayview park like it’s his own, weeding, mowing, picking up litter. It’s pristine because of him, and one of the reasons why visitors travel from wide and far to bring their dogs to Bayview!

The post Chinese eggplant and minced pork – spicy Sichuan food! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

These sausage patties are your favourite pork sausage in patty form. It’s so easy – just pork mince (ground pork) mixed with a simple spice blend! Serve for dinner with garlic rice or roast potatoes with steamed greens. Then enjoy for breakfast with eggs!

Homemade sausage patties

This is just a great, quick way to use pork mince to make something really tasty that’s a little bit different to the usual. (That’s ground pork, to Americans reading this!)

Essentially, it’s the flavour of your favourite classic pork sausages, cooked up in patty form. Some might identify with these as breakfast sausage patties. It’s similar to the sausage patties I use in my homemade Sausage and Egg Not-McMuffins. But the spice blend is a little bolder, because these are intended for eating plain rather than in breakfast burger form which gets an extra helping hand from cheese and egg.

They are very, very tasty. And I particularly love that there’s no chopping involved, not even mincing garlic. Just crack open your spice jars!

What you need

Here’s what you need to make these pork sausage patties. Pork is the best meat to use because it’s the softest and juiciest. However, the spice blend goes well with chicken and turkey too.

• Pork – The fattier your meat, the juicier your patties will be. Having said that, you will see in the video how ridiculously juicy my patties are, and I made this with ordinary pork mince purchased from the grocery store!

• Sage powder – This is the secret ingredient! It’s got an earthy, herbaceous flavour and rarely do you see it used in the quantities we’re using in today’s recipe: 1 whole teaspoon for 500g/1lb of pork. It’s the spice that separates this blend from any other generic spice mix, and makes it distinctly “pork sausage” flavoured!

• Other spices – Nothing unusual here, just all my usual suspects. Thyme, garlic and onion powder, black pepper (an assertive amount!), salt and a touch of sugar.

No breadcrumbs, no egg. Today’s patties are 100% meat, as all sausages should be. Boo to fillers! 🙂

How to make homemade pork sausage patties

Surprise! Guess who’s in today’s recipe video. 🙂

1. Mix the pork and spices together well. Use your hands, there’s just no better way to ensure all the spices mix through properly! Using your hands also binds the meat together better which ensures your patties don’t fall apart when cooking.

2. Form patties – Make 8 patties, pressing together firmly. Make them about 1cm / 0.4″ thick. This is the ideal thickness so they cook through relatively quickly and evenly while the surface goes a lovely golden brown.

   Too thick = overcooked outer band and risk of overly brown surface. Too thin = cooks through too quickly before you get colour on the surface.

3. DENT to prevent doming! Make a shallow dent in the middle of the pattie (just one side) using the back your 2 fingers. This anticipates the doming that happens when you cook patties, so these patties come out flat instead and makes it easier to brown the surface easily.

   Don’t even think about pressing the patties flat – you’ll squeeze all the tasty meat juices out!

4. Cook patties on medium high for 2 minutes on each side until deep golden. Drain on paper towels then serve!

How I serve sausage patties

Serve for dinner with a starch, greens and a squirt of ketchup! There is absolutely no need to get fancy with the sauce. 🙂

Here are some combination suggestions:

• With garlic rice or roast potatoes, and steamed greens drizzled with dressing (I used French Dressing in the photos today but if you’re in a rush, use my Everyday Dressing)

• With potato and gravy

• In burger form. Jam 2 patties between bread or in long rolls with lettuce, cheese, onion, pickles and – yup, you guessed it, a squirt of ketchup!

And as for breakfast:

• With a fried or scrambled eggs and toast

• Breakfast burgers! Egg, bacon, pan fried tomato slices or mushrooms and cheese, piled on a soft roll. Yes yes yes!

• Homemade Sausage and Egg McMuffin – See separate recipe here.

I’m sure I’m missing some obvious, excellent ways to serve homemade sausage patties. Share your suggestions below! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

My debut recipe video starring yours truly! Just dabbling….. 🙂

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Homemade sausage patties

Recipe video above. This is your favourite pork sausage in patty form. It's so easy – just pork mince (ground pork) mixed with a spice blend. Great to make ahead and freeze, then cook up on demand.

Serve for dinner with garlic rice and steamed green beans tossed with French Dressing. O make burgers! Also great for breakfast with scrambled eggs on toast. (I'd still use ketchup 🙂 )

Course Breakfast, Mains

Cuisine Western

Keyword homemade sausage patties, pork patties

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 patties

Calories 199cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Sausage patties:

• 500g/ 1 lb pork mince (ground pork) (sub chicken, turkey)
• 1 tsp dried ground sage (secret ingredient! Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme , crushed with fingers (Note 2)
• 1 tsp onion powder (sub more garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (sub more onion powder)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

Cooking & serving:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Ketchup for serving

Instructions

• Make patties – Place sausage pattie ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Divide into 8 and form 1 cm / 0.4" thick patties. Make a shallow dent in the middle of the surface – this prevents the patties from doming as they cook.
• Cook 4 minutes – Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Cook half the patties for 2 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Heat remaining oil and cook remaining patties.
• Serve with ketchup! (See recipe card intro for serving ideas)

Notes

1. Dried sage is the secret spice that makes this so good! Don’t have it? Substitute with 1/2 tsp paprika + 1/4 tsp cumin + 1/4 tsp extra garlic powder. Different flavour but still very tasty, makes up for missing sage.

2. Thyme – Roughly crush it with your fingers so it becomes a little more powdery coaxes more flavour out of it. 🙂

3. Leftovers – Cooked leftovers can be kept for 3 days in the fridge. Uncooked raw patties will keep for as long as the raw pork will, or in the freezer for 3 months (thaw then cook per recipe). Freeze in a single layer on trays then stack in an airtight container. Else, put paper between each one (I can’t be bothered which is why I freeze on trays first!).

Nutrition per pattie.

Nutrition

Calories: 199cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Multiple cameos in today’s recipe video!

The post Homemade Pork Sausage Patties appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce. Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, or eat like stew!

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

This food is me on a plate.

Well, in a pot.

Hunks of juicy meat that’s so tender, it’s barely holding together when you scoop it out. A bold sauce that’s spicy, tangy and deeply savoury. Big creamy beans littered throughout that’s absorbed the flavour of the sauce, making beans tastier and dreamier than you ever imagined possible.

That it’s straightforward to make is a (big) bonus. It’s just like making a stew. In fact, that’s my favourite way to serve this – ladled into bowls like stew, except with tortillas on the side for dunking instead of serving it over the usual mash!

Ingredients in Mexican Chipotle Pork and Bean

Here’s what you need to make big pot of Mexican deliciousness!

Seasoned pork

This dish is made with pork shoulder which is an economical tough cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked to fall-apart tenderness. I just use cumin to flavour it before searing because the pork absorbs so much flavour while it’s slow cooking, it really doesn’t need much on the surface!

The chipotle sauce (and beans!)

And here’s what you need to make the rich chipotle sauce that the pork is braised in. Flavour to the max!!

• Chipotle in adobo (photo below) – The hero ingredient, I adore this Mexican sauce! It’s made with chipotles which are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. (Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños).

  In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release and to make a smooth sauce.

  Where to find it – Those of you in the States are lucky enough to find chipotle in adobo virtually “everywhere”! In Australia – find it in the Mexican aisle of large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies), Harris Farms, as well as independent grocers. I use La Morena which I buy from Harris Farms – $3.29 for 200g/7 oz (we use the whole can).

• Butter beans (aka lima beans) – The big, fat, meaty beans you always see at the store that you wonder what to do with. Well, now you know! 😂 Feel free to substitute with other beans, though I do think creamy beans work better than smaller, firm ones like black beans, chickpeas etc.

  Why canned instead of dried beans? I find that the cook time for dried beans (especially large ones like butter beans) can vary quite drastically depending on the age, size and quality of the beans. Which means for dishes like this, sometimes the beans are done before the pork is, sometimes they are still hard when the pork is done. It’s not too bad pulling the pork out and leaving the beans to cook for longer. But it is a pain to take the beans out to continue cooking the pork! So, canned is my preference here.

• Orange juice – Yes! A secret ingredient used in Mexican cooking to add sweetness and more flavour than just adding sugar into things (eg carnitas, fajitas). Doesn’t make it taste orangey because once it’s slow cooked, the flavour completely transforms.

• Chicken stock – For the braising liquid. Low sodium please, otherwise your dish might end up too salty.

• Tomato paste – For flavour and thickening. It’s sautéed to cook out the raw, sour flavour before mixing into the braising liquid.

• Herbs and spices – Nothing unusual here! Oregano, coriander, allspice, bay leaves.

• Onion and garlic – Flavour base.

How to make Chipotle pork and beans

This recipe starts off by searing the pork on the stove before transferring to the oven to braise until the pork is fall-apart tender, giving the sauce time to develop fabulous deep, savoury flavour.

1. Puree the chipotle in adobo using a stick blender. The chipotle is really soft so it literally takes seconds.

2. Season pork – Cut the pork into 6 equal pieces, for ease of handling to sear, more surface area for browning and so they cook faster than a whole pork shoulder. Then sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper.

3. Brown the pork in two batches, using a heavy based oven-proof pot. Rotate the pork to brown all over. Remember, colour = flavour! Once done, remove the pork onto a plate.

4. Sauté sauce flavour base – Using the same pot, sauté the garlic, onion, dried herbs and spices. Sautéing dried herbs and spices is a neat trick for getting extra flavour out of them – it makes them “bloom”.

   Next, cook off the tomato paste followed by the pureed chipotle in adobo. Cooking off pastes is a great flavour trick as it intensifies flavour as well as taking off the raw, sour edge. It also depends the savoury flavour so you get more out of less!

5. Braising liquid – Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans into the sauce – the orange juice, stock, spices and bay leaves. The beans are added later else they will overcook and become too mushy.

   Give it all a good mix then place the pork in, along with any juices pooled on the plate (never waste free flavour!). Arrange the pork as best you can so they are submerged under the liquid. But don’t worry if there’s some of the surface poking above because it will steam-cook and also the pork will shrink as it cooks so it will eventually sink below the surface.

6. Slow cook – Put the lid on and transfer to the oven to slow cook for 2 hours at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). This temperature might sound high for slow cooking but it equates to a gentle simmer on the stove, which is suitable for slow cooking meats.

   Other cook methods – 6 hours in a slow cooker on low or 2 hours on the stove.

7. Beans – Remove the pot from the oven. The pork should be pretty much fork tender by this stage. Add the beans and push them in as best you can under the liquid.

8. Bake uncovered – Return the pot to the oven to bake uncovered for 30 minutes to caramelise the surface which adds extra flavour. Also by this stage, the pork should be tender enough so you can pry it apart using two forks without any effort at all.

   If you used your slow cooker or the stove, I do recommend doing this final step in the oven because the caramelising of the surface does add extra flavour!

And that’s it! To serve, just scoop up pieces of pork and beans, and ladle into bowls or onto a plate for serving. See below for ways to eat this pot of fall-apart-spicy-meaty-beany deliciousness!

How to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans

As I mentioned at the beginning, my favourite way. to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans is in a bowl like stew. Just use a spoon or fork to cut off bits of pork (which takes barely a touch!) then get a big scoop with beans and plenty of sauce.

I like to add a bit of avocado and sprinkle of coriander/cilantro for freshness, and tortillas for dunking / bowl mopping is essential in my world.

Having said that, here are some other options – all dish worthy!

1. Served over Mexican red rice – or put a big Mexican plate together with Mexican corn cobs (pictured above).

2. As a taco filling with your toppings of choice! It’s pictured above with avocado slices, finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and lime wedges. There’s no need for a separate sauce – this is saucy enough as is!

3. Burritos to die for! Switch the chicken in this burrito recipe.

4. Shred up the pork and mix it up into the sauce with the beans. Then use it to make a giant nachos (switch out the chicken in this nachos recipe), as an enchilada filling, make tostada or simply scoop up with corn chips.

5. Turn it into a hearty soup – Add extra chicken stock/broth to thin the sauce and make it less intense, so it becomes suitable to be a soup broth. Then serve it as soup!

So many possibilities! What do you think? Which serving option appeals to you? – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

Recipe video above. This is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce.

Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, eat like stew!

SPICE NOTE: This sauce is spicy. Not off-the-charts spicy, but it has a good kick! If you're concerned, remove half the chillis from the can of chipotle in adobo (as the chillies are where the spiciness is). If you're still worried, best to give this a miss because chipotle in adobo IS spicy!!

Course Mains

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chipotle pork, mexican pork

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8 people

Calories 323cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Pork:

• 1.5kg / 3lb pork shoulder (skinless, boneless), cut into 6 equal pieces (Note 1)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin powder

Sauce:

• 200g / 7 oz chipotle in adobo – the chillis + sauce (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup orange juice (real, not reconstituted sweetened stuff – Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 2 bay leaves (fresh, else dried)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 3 x 420g / 16 oz canned butter beans / lima beans , or other of choice (Note 4)

Dried herbs & spices

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp allspice powder

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• SPICINESS – Read note above about spiciness!
• Puree chipotle in adobo until smooth using a stick blender or similar.
• Sprinkle pork all over with salt, pepper and cumin.
• Brown pork – Heat all the oil in a large oven-proof pot over high heat. Brown the pork all over in 2 batches, the remove onto a plate (~ 1 minute each side).
• Sauté – Cool the pot slightly then return to medium heat. If the pot looks dry, add 1 tbsp oil. Sauté onion, garlic, the herbs & spices for 3 minutes.
• Cook off tomato & chipotle – Add tomato paste and cook it off for 2 minutes. Add chipotle puree and cook for 2 minutes.
• Slow cook 2 hours – Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT beans. Stir, then bring to simmer. Place pork in – arrange so its submerged as best as possible. Cover with lid. Place in oven for 2 hours. (Note 6 other cook methods)
• Add beans, cook 30 min – Remove lid, add beans. Return to oven for 30 minutes without lid to caramelise the surface. The pork will be fork-tender!
• Serve like stew over Mexican red rice or with tortillas for dunking. Or make wickedly food tacos with finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro, avocado slices and a squeeze of lime. More serving options above the recipe video.

Notes

1. Pork shoulder – Tough cut of meat made for slow cooking into fall apart submission. Chuck beef and boneless beef ribs will also work great!

2. Chipotle in adobo – smoked, dried jalapeños (chipotles) that are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release.

3. Orange juice is used sparingly like stock in Mexican cooking. It doesn’t make it taste orangey, it adds a touch of sweetness and more flavour than just using sugar.

4. Beans – I realise butter beans are not authentic but I love how big and meaty they are, it just works with the succulent pork! Pinto or black beans would be a more strictly authentic choice for Mexican cooking, though honestly, any type of beans will work here.

5. Other cook methods: Slow cooker 6 hours on low or 2 hours on the stove on a low heat, stirring every now and then to ensure the base doesn’t catch.

However, the final 30 minutes in the oven is recommended no matter what slow cook method you use as it caramelises the surface (flavour boost!) and reduces the sauce.

6. Store in the fridge for 4 days, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving assuming 8.

Nutrition

Calories: 323cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1079mg | Potassium: 820mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

The Coronation of Prince Edward Dozer Maehashi the first.

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This is such a wonderful recipe to use economical pork shoulder in an exciting new way! A Vietnamese lemongrass marinade infuses with beautiful flavour while a smidge of baking soda is the secret to tenderising so the pork steaks are tender like premium chops. Vietnamese street-food!

Vietnamese lemongrass pork

I’ve been wanting to recreate the chargrilled lemongrass marinated pork you find “everywhere” on the streets of Vietnam for years – but it always came out dry. Finally figured out the secret to keeping it juicy, so I had to share the recipe immediately! 😂

Across Vietnam, variations of this lemongrass pork are served in various forms. On rice, soups, in rice paper rolls, even in Banh Mi. While all are delicious, my favourite are the popular Vietnamese noodle bowl salads, bun thit nuong. Thin rice noodles, topped with this pork, pickled vegetables, lettuce, a smattering of peanuts, lime and served with nuoc cham, that sauce served with “everything” in Vietnam.

I’ve shared the pork noodle bowl as a separate recipe as I wanted to publish the marinated pork separately because I think it’s worthy of your attention!

Here’s a photo of the pork rice noodle bowls. I actually took this photo in Vietnam – it’s a dish I bought from a street vendor in Saigon and took back to my hotel to take a photo:

Oh look! And said vendor in Saigon. 🙂 They cooked the pork on skewers over charcoal. I’m doing a home version – steaks on a stove. So you can make this any night of the week – rain, hail or shine!

Why you need this Vietnamese pork in your life!

• Excellent value – It’s made using economical pork shoulder that is tenderised so it’s juicy like premium pork chops!

• Flavour plus value – The meat is sliced and pounded thinly for maximum flavour penetration and so less meat goes further.

• Something different but yet so easy, with ingredients you can get from the local shops.

• Versatile – Serve at your next BBQ with coconut rice and Asian slaw. Or wait until Friday to make Vietnamese noodle bowls!

• Deliciousness factor is extremely high for relatively small effort

And because I know someone will ask – yes you can make this with chicken, here it is! 🙂

What you need

Here’s what you need to make this.

• Pork shoulder – Generally, this economical, tough cut of pork is slow cooked until it becomes fall-apart tender. Today, we’re using it in a really different way. Sliced thinly, then marinated with baking soda which tenderises it so when it’s cooked hard-and-fast like steak, it is tender like a pricey pork chop. (Links again for glowing reader reviews who have discovered the wonder of this technique with chicken and beef!).

• Baking soda – also known as bi-carb / bi-carbonate. As noted in the point above, this is what tenderises the tough pork shoulder meat.

• Lemongrass – For unmistakable, irreplaceable beautiful Vietnamese flavour!

• Limes – For tang. A Vietnamese food favourite.

• Sugar – For sweet and caramelisation.

• Soy sauce and fish sauce – The saltiness. I like to use both to get the right flavour balance. Only fish sauce = too fishy. Only soy sauce = lacks complexity of flavour.

• Garlic – Lots!

• Oil – To increase the volume of the marinade so there is the right flavour infusion for the volume of meat we’re using. (Initially I just had more of all the other ingredients but the pork was too salty).

How to make Vietnamese lemongrass marinated pork

The key to this recipe is to slice and pound the pork as thinly as you can. This serves a few purposes:

• head start tenderising the flesh

• opens up the fibres to allow the marinade to penetrate thoroughly

• increases surface area and flattens the pork to improve surface area char – for optimum real chargrilled street-food flavour!

• allows us to make this with economical pork shoulder rather than pricey pork tenderloin or chops.

1. Slice the pork shoulder into eight thinnish pieces – gives us a head start on the pounding. I find it easiest to do this by cutting the pork on 45 degree angle but if you have the right shaped piece, you could just cut straight down.

   PRO TIP: To get even(ish) pieces without pulling out the scales, cut the pork shoulder in half, then each half in half again, then each in half again. Voila – 8 pieces!

2. Pound to 5mm / 0.2″ thickness thick using a meat mallet (the jagged side) or rolling pin. Cover with go-between or freezer bags to prevent damaging the meat. (Go-between is a purpose made plastic sheet, sold alongside cling wrap. Also useful for stacking foods in the freezer without sticking together).

3. Post pounding thin pork!

4. Marinade – Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

5. Coat pork Add the pork and use tongs to coat well.

6. Marinate 24 hours – Transfer to a ziplock bag and marinate for 24 hours.

   Why mix separately first? To ensure really good, even distribution of the small amount of bi-carb across quite a lot of surface area. I wouldn’t ask you to dirty a bowl unnecessarily 🙂

   Why a ziplock bag? Because it keeps the meat completely coated in a relatively small amount of marinade. If you prefer a container, use a small one so the meat is as snugly fitted as possible and toss the pork once or twice during the marinading time.

7. High heat cooking – Cook for 1 1/2 minutes in a hot cast iron skillet OR on your BBQ over high heat. Then cook the other side for 1 minute. Super quick to cook because it’s so thin!

8. Aim for a nice char – The pork will char quickly because of the sugar in the marinade and that’s what we want, that authentic chargrilled flavour.

   STILL TENDER! Technically, with 2 1/2 minutes of high heat blasting, the thin pork should be overcooked and dry inside, not to mention the tough pork shoulder hasn’t been slow cooked as it should so it should be horridly tough. Nope! The inside is still juicy, and it’s more tender than you ever imagined pork shoulder could be, thanks to the baking soda (read more on this above in the ingredients section).

NOTE: Meat tenderised using the baking soda method will be pink inside even when it’s cooked to well done! It’s just what happens. It happens with beef too. 🙂

As mentioned above, I’ll share the Vietnamese Pork Noodle Bowls recipe on Friday (UPDATE: here it is!). But think beyond the noodle bowl! Serve it with a side of coconut rice, Vietnamese red fried rice or plain jasmine rice with a side salad. Try one of these:

• Vietnamese Chicken salad – minus the chicken

• Asian Slaw

• Chang’s Crispy Noodle Cabbage Salad

• Asian Side Salad

• Steamed vegetables or any leafy greens drizzled with Asian Sesame Dressing

And just before I sign off, one more look at the pork noodle bowl:

It’s so good! ADORE the contrasting textures of the fresh vegetables and herbs with the flavourful marinated lemongrass pork all doused in nuoc cham, the Vietnamese chilli-garlic sauce served with “everything”.

What do you think?? Have I convinced you to give this Vietnamese pork a go? I hope so!!! If anything, it’s worth experiencing the magic of the marinade and how tender it makes pork shoulder steaks. Try it!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork steaks (tenderised!)

Recipe video above. Pork infused with a Vietnamese lemongrass marinade, then cooked over high heat for an authentic char-grill like you get at Vietnamese street stalls! Economical pork shoulder is a tough cut of meat that's tenderised using a touch of baking soda. Even if you overcook these pork steaks, they are still tender inside!

Use to make the popular Vietnamese rice noodle salad, Bún thịt nướng, or serve with coconut or jasmine rice and Asian slaw for a lovely dinner.

Course Main

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword vietnamese pork chops, vietnamese pork marinade

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 360cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 500g/1 lb pork shoulder , skinless and boneless, or pork scotch (roast or steaks) (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp canola oil

Marinade:

• 2 lemongrass stalks , white part only, bruised, cut into 1 cm / 0.4″ slices on angle (Note 2)
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, NOT dark soy, Note 3)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar (tightly packed tablespoons)
• 3 tbsp oil (canola, vegetable, peanut)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda/bi-carb , for tenderising (Note 4)

Instructions

• Cut pork – Cut into 8 equal, thinnish slices of pork. I find it easiest using the knife on a 45° angle, but if you have the right shape piece you can just cut straight down.
• Pound each steak to 5mm / 0.2" thickness using the scary side of a meat mallet (jagged, not flat), using go-between (Note 5) or a freezer bag to avoid damaging the meat. (You can use baking paper for rolling pin or the flat side of the mallet.)
• Marinade – Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl, it will fizz when the baking soda is added! Add pork then toss well to coat using tongs. Transfer to a ziplock bag and marinate for 24 hours.
• Remove pork from the marinade and brush off the lemongrass pieces. Discard marinade – it's done its job!
• Cook – Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until you see wisps of smoke. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oil, then cook half the pork for 1 1/2 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other side until nicely charred. Remove onto a plate. Scrape pan clean of loose black bits then cook the remaining pork.
• Serve! Make Pork Noodle Bowls (bun thit nuong) or serve with rice and a side salad – see note 6 and in post for suggestions!
• NOTE – The thin pork steaks are beyond well done in 2 1/2 minutes but it doesn't matter because the baking soda keeps them tender. It will be blushing pink inside due to the baking soda (same happens with beef). You could cook them for another 5 minutes and they will still be tender inside. Miracle!

Notes

1. Pork cut – This recipe is designed for pork shoulder which is a fatty, tough cut of pork that’s usually slow cooked to make it tender. Here, by pounding and using baking soda, it’s tenderised so it’s like premium pork chops once cooked. It’s literally impossible to overcook the inside so it’s tough – you’ll see!

Recipe also works great with pork scotch roast or steaks. A little more expensive cut of meat but widely available in Australia. Doesn’t work as well for lean, more expensive cuts of meat like loin and tenderloin.

2. Lemongrass prep – cut the reedy end off, we’re only using the white and pale green part. Bash with meat mallet so it bursts open slightly to release flavour but mostly holds together. Slice on an angle into large 1cm/0.4″ thick slices so they are easy to brush off the pork before cooking (else they burn).

Fresh really is best here but if you can’t get it, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste instead.

3. Soy sauce – Don’t use dark soy sauce, the flavour is far too intense and will overwhelm. Any all-purpose soy is fine, or light soy sauce.

4. Baking soda, also known as bi-carb, is used to tenderise the pork shoulder meat which is is a tough cut usually used for slow cooking. Same method used for chicken and beef for stir fries – and readers love it!

5. Go-between is a purpose made roll of plastic that’s sold alongside cling wrap, used for pounding meat. Thicker than freezer bags and cling wrap, and not sticky. It protects the meat from becoming damaged.

6. Serving suggestions – Noodle bowls pictured in post (bun thit nuong), recipe here! Or make dinner plates with a side of coconut rice, Vietnamese red fried rice or plain jasmine rice with a side salad:

• Vietnamese Chicken salad – minus the chicken
• Asian Slaw
• Chang’s Crispy Noodle Cabbage Salad
• Asian Side Salad
• Steamed vegetables or any leafy greens drizzled with Asian Sesame Dressing

Nutrition per serving, 2 pieces per person.

Nutrition

Calories: 360cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1578mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

I adore Vietnamese food!

See?

Bun Cha (Vietnamese Meatballs!)

Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Vietnamese Caramel Pork

Vietnamese Pho recipe

Vietnamese Chicken Pho soup (Pho Ga)

Vietnamese

Life of Dozer

When Dozer was in the paper over the Easter break. Specifically, the Good Weekend Magazine!

If you wish to continue to believe I’m an innocent angel, please do not read the article.

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