Try out this wonderful Cambodian grilled and smoked eggplant with ground pork to make a change from your everyday meal.
I just love eggplants! One of the best ways to have eggplants is by grilling them and giving them a nice smoky flavor. Complement the pork with a nice Asian sauce and you’re in for a treat.
What do you need to make this recipe?
Eggplants: Sicilian eggplants are really good for this recipe. One eggplant per person is perfect for the job.
Garlic: Pairs really well with eggplant and is great for the sauce.
Sauce: hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar
Chili peppers: Adds a nice kick to the meal
Green onion: thinly sliced for garnish
How to make this grilled eggplant with ground pork recipe?
Cook the Eggplants
The trick to cooking eggplants for this recipe is to get some smoky flavor into them. You can achieve this with different methods: smoking on charcoal or wood pellets BBQ, char over open flame, broil in the oven, etc.
It is important before cooking it to pierce it with a knife or fork. If you don’t you may be victim from an eggplant explosion in your oven or bbq (been there). It can get messy!
Once its cooked after around 30 min or so, the skin should have blistered and the meat should be soft and tender.
Let them rest in a covered container which will finish the cook and help the skin detach itself from the meat. It will make peeling a breeze. For the presentation, leave the top of the eggplant on and slice across the peeled eggplant. Turn it on the inside and leave some room for the ground pork between the eggplant halves!
Cook the Minced Pork
This part of the recipe is pretty straightforward. Add a bit of oil in your frying pan at medium heat and let the garlic and green onions fry for a minute, then add your pork. Let the pork brown and cook. Add your sauce ingredients when it is almost cooked and let simmer to meld flavors for about 10-15 minutes.
Serve
Pour your pork between the two halves of the eggplant and garnish with green onions. Serve with a bowl of white rice with coriander leaves and dig in!
Ingredients
- 4 eggplants (Sicilian)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 1 chili pepper, sliced thinly
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground pork
- 4 Green onions, sliced thinly
- Coriander for garnish
- White rice as a side
Instructions
- Put your eggplants whole on a baking sheet lined with aluminum paper
- Pierce all over with a fork and brush with vegetable oil
- Put in the oven at 425F for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes until the eggplant has softened and skin lightly browned. (for a smoky flavor, cook on the BBQ / grill or char on an open flame).
- Put a skillet on the oven over medium heat
- Add vegetable oil and then add garlic, green onion (white part) and chili. Let fry for 1 minute until fragrant
- Add the pork and cook until browned
- Add the sauce and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes
- Take out the Eggplant from the oven and either peel them and cut them in half or cut them in half and leave them in their shells.
- Serve the eggplant at the bottom of the plate and add pork mixture on top.
- Sprinkle green onion (green portion) and serve with white rice and coriander.