Garlic Scapes with Pork
When spring transitions into summer, garlic scapes emerge as a seasonal delicacy, and their pairing with tender pork creates a dish that perfectly captures this fleeting moment of the year.
Why do I like this recipe?
Simple and efficient operation: The steps are clearly broken down. First, stir-fry the meat and then the vegetables to keep the meat tender.
Reasonable ingredient combination: The combination of garlic scapes and carrots complements each other both in color and texture.
Proper seasoning: With simple seasonings like salt, light soy sauce and cooking wine, the original flavors of the ingredients are preserved.
Suitable for daily family cooking: It can be quickly prepared, making it perfect for weekdays.
What are garlic scapes?
Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of garlic, usually from hard-necked garlic.
These garlic scapes have a crispy texture. Their flavor is milder than that of garlic cloves, with a faint sweetness. Garlic scapes are picked before the garlic starts to form flower buds, so that they are tender instead of tough.
Soft-necked garlic is the common garlic bulb we see. It does not grow garlic scapes. So generally when cooking, only hard-necked garlic can provide this ingredient.
When choosing garlic scapes, try to pick those that are tender and easy to break. Avoid garlic scapes that have already become tough. In this way, the stir-fried garlic scapes will be more crispy and have a better texture!
How to cut garlic scapes?
First, cut off the tough part at the bottom of the garlic scapes, about 1 to 2 inches. Also trim off the pointed tip, as it is usually dry and fibrous and not very pleasant to eat.
Cut the remaining tender part directly into sections about 5 centimeters long. This makes it easier for the garlic scapes to absorb the flavors during stir-frying and the texture will be just right.
How to cut pork?
There are actually some small tips for cutting pork. Try these methods:
Freeze in advance
Put the pork in the refrigerator and freeze it for about 30 minutes to make it a bit harder. This will make it easier to cut and prevent inaccurate cutting.
Cut along the grain
When cutting, be sure to cut along the grain of the meat. This way, the meat is less likely to fall apart during stir-frying and the texture will be smoother and more tender.
Appropriate thickness
Generally, cut it into thin slices about 1/4 inch (4 millimeters) thick. This allows the meat to absorb the flavors easily while maintaining its tenderness. If you want it to look more refined, you can first cut it into thin slices horizontally and then cut it into thin strips along the grain. It will match better with the garlic scapes!
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
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·300g garlic scapes (trimmed at both ends and cut into 5-cm sections)
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·120g lean pork (sliced thin)
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·50g carrot (cut into strips)
Additional Ingredients
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·25ml cooking oil (used in two times)
Seasonings
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·5g salt
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·5ml cooking wine
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·5ml light soy sauce
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·5ml cornstarch slurry
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Trim the ends of the garlic scapes and cut them into 5-cm sections. Slice the lean pork thinly and cut the carrot into strips. Set them aside.
Step 2
Pour 15ml of oil into the pan. When the oil is slightly warm, add the pork slices and stir-fry over high heat until they change color and turn pale. Take them out and set aside.
Step 3
Add another 10ml of oil to the pan. After the oil is hot, add the carrot strips and stir-fry until fragrant.
Step 4
Put in the garlic scape sections and stir-fry over medium heat until the surfaces become slightly wrinkled.
Step 5
Season with 5g of salt and continue to stir-fry until the garlic scapes turn soft and bright green.
Step 6
Pour in the previously stir-fried pork slices. Pour 5ml of cooking wine and 5ml of light soy sauce along the side of the pan. Stir-fry quickly over high heat for 10 seconds.
Step 7
Pour in 5ml of cornstarch slurry to thicken slightly. After stirring evenly, turn off the heat immediately and transfer to a plate.
Other delicious stir fry recipes
Captivating Stir-fry: Eggplant String Bean Stir-fry
Cooking Skills
Heat Control
When stir-frying the meat, use high heat and stir-fry quickly until it changes color. This can lock in the meat juices without overcooking the meat. When stir-frying the vegetables, use medium heat to keep the garlic scapes green and crisp.
Ingredient Stir-Frying Order
First, stir-fry the carrot strips until fragrant, and then add the garlic scapes and stir-fry until slightly wrinkled. This can fully release the sweetness and aroma of each ingredient. Finally, return the pork to the pan and mix well to make the flavor more evenly distributed.
Seasoning Timing
Add seasonings such as salt when the garlic scapes are almost soft. This not only allows the vegetables to absorb the flavors but also keeps them fresh and crisp.
Light Thickening
Thicken the sauce quickly. After stir-frying evenly, turn off the heat immediately so that the sauce naturally coats the ingredients. This not only brightens the color but also makes the flavor stronger.
What Dishes to Pair with This Stir-Fry?
A Bowl of Steamed Rice
Traditional steamed rice is a perfect match. It can fully absorb the sauce, making every bite full of freshness and aroma. If you want a different texture, brown rice or cauliflower rice is also a good choice.
Simple Vegetable Side Dishes
Stir-fry or steam some Chinese cabbage, broccoli, Chinese kale, choy sum, or water spinach. This can not only add color but also balance the greasiness of the meat and make the whole meal more balanced.
Pair with Light Soup
If you like soup, you can make a bowl of light soup. It can relieve greasiness and enrich the flavors on the table.
Variations
Spicy Version
Heat the pan and add 1 spoon of doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste) to stir-fry until the red oil emerges. Replace the oil in step 2 of the original recipe. Use thinly sliced streaky pork instead of lean pork slices. After stir-frying until slightly charred, add the garlic scapes. Omit the step of thickening with starch. Sprinkle a handful of cooked peanuts to enhance the aroma.
Shredded Chicken Version
Replace the lean pork with shredded chicken breast. Marinate the shredded chicken with 1g of baking soda and 5ml of water for 10 minutes before stir-frying. Add shredded soaked black fungus before the garlic scapes are stir-fried soft. Use oyster sauce and white pepper powder for the sauce instead, which is fresh, refreshing and low in fat.
Vegetarian Stir-Fry with Dried Tofu
Remove the pork and add marinated dried tofu cut into strips (stir-fry together with carrots in step 3). Add half a spoon of sugar and 1 spoon of shiitake mushroom sauce for seasoning. Pour half a spoon of balsamic vinegar before thickening with starch. The vegetarian version is also great for going with rice.
Lazy Bento Dish
Dice the ingredients instead of cutting them into strips: dice the garlic scapes, carrots and meat slices into 1-cm cubes. Add sweet corn kernels and green peas. After stir-frying until cooked, put them on top of the rice to make a mixed rice directly.
FAQs:
If you live in Asia, you can find them at wet markets and some supermarkets during spring and summer.
If left for a long time, the garlic scapes will lose their crispness and become soft. So it is recommended to stir-fry and eat them as fresh as possible to retain the original fresh and crisp texture.
REVIEWS
