Oysters with Ground Pork (蠔豬肉, Hou4 Zyu1 Juk6)

Ground pork and seafood, in this case oysters, is a classic combination used in Chinese recipes. I used fresh oysters from a jar, saving the liquid the oysters come in for use in the sauce. Add some mushrooms and vegetables, and dinner is served.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

½ lb.	250 g.	Ground pork meat (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.	Fresh oysters (鮮蠔, sin1 hou4) – 1 jar
7.4 oz.	210 g.	One 15 oz. (425 gm) can oyster mushrooms (蠔菇, hou4 gu1), drained
¾ lb.	375 g.	Snow peas (荷蘭豆, ho4 laan4 dau6)
8 oz.	227 g.	Fried tofu (魚豆腐, jyu4 dau6 fu6) – 1 package
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung1), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths
2-4	2-4	Red chili peppers (紅番椒, hung4 faan1 ziu1), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces – to taste
		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
		Liquid from the oysters (“oyster liquor”)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Oyster sauce (蠔油, hou4 jau4)
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)
½ Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
1 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. Open the jar of oysters and place the oysters into a bowl. Reserve the oyster liquid for later use in the cooking process.
3. Open and drain the can of oyster mushrooms.
4. Wash and remove the string from the snow peas by holding the snow pea in one hand and pulling the string the length of the snow pea with the other.
5. Open the fried tofu package and discard any liquid.
6. Remove the stems from the red chili peppers and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. The amount of red chili peppers to use in this dish depends upon personal taste, so feel free to reduce or increase the amount.
7. Wash and cut the green onions on the diagonal into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths.
8. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, oyster liquid, oyster sauce, 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 pork, breaking up any clumps of pork. Set the pork aside in a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the oyster mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then remove them to the bowl with the pork.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fried tofu. Stir fry the fried tofu and then remove them to the bowl with the pork.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the red chili peppers. Quickly stir fry the red chilies to blacken them before adding more oil and then the snow peas. Stir fry the red chilies and snow peas to brown them. Add the green onions, oysters, and the contents of the bowl with the pork back into the wok and stir fry all the ingredients together.
5. 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.