Pork Stuffed Bitter Melon

This is a classic Chinese dish. Bitter melon is stuffed with a delicious mixture of minced pork, then pan-fried and simmered with a garlic and black bean sauce. Serve with freshly cooked rice.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 310 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 ½ teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 12 ounces ground pork
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• salt as needed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons chopped dried shrimp
• 1 ½ teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil (groundnut oil)
• 2 bitter melon, cut into thick rings and cores removed
• cornstarch as needed
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (groundnut oil)
• 3 tablespoons black bean-garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped red pepper

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place shrimp in a bowl and pour in enough water to cover; set aside until shrimp are rehydrated, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a bowl until a smooth paste forms. Mix sugar, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon salt into cornstarch paste until marinade is well combined. Stir pork into marinade moving the spoon in one direction.

Step 3

Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat; fry shrimp until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add shrimp to pork mixture, stirring in 1 direction until it reaches a paste-like consistency.

Step 4

Sprinkle salt over bitter melon and let sit for 5 minutes.

Step 5

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add bitter melon and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well.

Step 6

Stuff each bitter melon slice with pork mixture and sprinkle cornstarch evenly over each.

Step 7

Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and fry stuffed bitter melon until brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer bitter melon to a serving plate.

Step 8

Mix 1/2 cup water, oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar together in a bowl until oyster sauce mixture is smooth.

Step 9

Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the same skillet over high heat. Cook and stir black bean-garlic sauce, red pepper, and garlic until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add oyster sauce mixture and stir until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add stuffed bitter melons and simmer, 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 10

Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms; stir into skillet until sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.