Ground Pork with Fuzzy Melon (節瓜豬肉, Zit3 Gwaa1 Zyu1 Juk6)

This is an easy to prepare spicy pork dish. You can substitute ground chicken in place of the pork if desired. The spice comes from Fu Chi Foods brand chili paste with fermented soy bean sauce, which you can buy at your local Asian supermarket. A good substitute is salted black beans and chili garlic sauce if you can’t find that brand. Fuzzy melon gets its name from the fuzz on the outside skin of the melon (it’s really a squash). All you have to do is to rub the skin under running water, and the fuzz comes off.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Ground pork (豬肉, zyu1 juk6)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 lb.	500 g.	Fuzzy melon (節瓜, zit3 gwaa1), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) cubes
1	1	Medium onion (洋蔥, joeng4 cung1), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Fu Chi Foods brand chili paste with fermented soy bean (湖南豆豉辣椒, wu4 naam4 dau6 si6 laat6 ziu1) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Water

 

Equipment

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Preparation Instructions

1. Marinate the ground pork for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the pork overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Wash and cut the fuzzy melon into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) cubes.
3. Remove the outer skin and cut the onion into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces.
4. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, Fu Chi Foods brand chili paste with fermented soy bean sauce or equivalent, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. Add the ground pork to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. Stir fry the ground pork and break up any clumps of meat. Set the pork aside in a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the onion pieces. Stir fry the onion and then remove them to the bowl with the pork.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fuzzy melon pieces. Stir fry the fuzzy melon to brown the pieces and then add the contents of the bowl with the pork back into the wok and stir fry all the ingredients together.
4. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.