Garlic Chives with Pork (Cang Ying Tou - 苍蝇头)

Method9 steps · about 20 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Before heating the wok, rinse and drain the ¼ cup fermented black beans. Finely chop the ½ tbsp ginger and 1 tbsp garlic, finely dice the ½ cup red long hot peppers, and cut the 12 oz garlic chives into ⅓-inch pieces. Have the pork and seasonings ready; keep the raw pork chilled until cooking.

   Uses ½ tablespoon ginger (finely chopped) · 1 tablespoon garlic (finely chopped) · ¼ cup fermented black beans, rinsed and drained · ½ cup red long hot peppers, finely diced · 12 oz garlic chives, cut into ⅓-inch pieces · clean water for rinsing fermented black beans, discarded

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Heat the empty wok over high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Reduce the heat and let the wok cool a little, then add 1 tbsp of the divided cooking oil (1 tbsp). When the oil is hot, reduce to medium and continue to the pork.

   Uses 1 tbsp cooking oil for browning pork

3. 3

   Step 3: Add all 10 oz ground pork to the oil from step 2. Break it up and cook until lightly browned and fully cooked to 71°C. Stir in all 2 tsp Shaoxing wine, ½ tbsp of the divided light soy sauce (½ tbsp) and the ¼ tsp sugar. Mix well, turn off the heat and lift the cooked pork into a clean bowl.

   Uses Heated oil in the wok · 10 oz ground pork · 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine · ½ tbsp light soy sauce for pork · ¼ teaspoon sugar

   
4. 4

   Step 4: In the same wok, with the oil remaining after lifting out the pork, reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of the divided cooking oil and the prepared ½ tbsp finely chopped ginger from step 1. Cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic and beans in step 5.

   Cook ginger · 1 minUses Oil remaining in the wok after lifting out the cooked pork · Remaining 2 tbsp cooking oil · Prepared finely chopped ginger

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the prepared garlic and rinsed, drained black beans from step 1 to the ginger and oil from step 4. Cook over low heat for 1–2 minutes, checking from 1 minute and stirring to avoid burning.

   Cook garlic and black beans · 1 minUses Ginger and oil in the wok · Prepared garlic and rinsed, drained fermented black beans

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add the prepared ½ cup diced red long hot peppers from step 1 to the garlic-and-bean mixture from step 5. Increase the heat to high and stir-fry uncovered for 1 minute, then add the pork and chives in step 7.

   Stir-fry hot peppers · 1 minUses Garlic, fermented beans, ginger and oil in the wok · Prepared diced red long hot peppers

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Stir the cooked pork from step 3 and the prepared garlic chives from step 1 into the pepper mixture from step 6. Stir-fry briefly to combine, then season promptly in step 8; the chives cook quickly.

   Uses Peppers, fermented beans, aromatics and oil in the wok · Cooked pork lifted from its pan · All prepared chopped garlic chives

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Add the remaining 1½ tbsp light soy sauce and all ½ tsp sesame oil to the pork-and-chive mixture from step 7. Stir-fry just to combine and cook the chives. Taste and add a little of the optional salt only if needed; the beans and soy sauce are already salty. Work promptly to keep the chives from overcooking.

   Uses Pork, garlic chives, peppers, beans and aromatics in the wok · Remaining 1½ tbsp light soy sauce · ½ teaspoon sesame oil · salt to taste, only if needed after tasting

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Transfer the finished pork and garlic chives from step 8 to a serving dish. Serve promptly, optionally with separately prepared steamed rice or congee.

   Uses All finished pork-and-garlic-chive stir-fry · separately prepared steamed rice, optional for serving · separately prepared congee, optional for serving