Eggplant Adobo
Ingredients:
- Egg Plants - 1 lb
- Sugar - 2 tbs
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Pepper - 1 tsp
- Garlic - 1 whole
- Olive Oil - 3 tbs
- Ground Pork - 4 oz
- Rice Vinegar - 3 tbs
- Soy Sauce - 2 tbs
- Bay Leaf - 2
Instructions
- 1
- Slice 1 lb
- small Japanese or Italian eggplant (about 3) into quarters lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2"-wide pieces
- Place in a medium bowl
- Add 1 Tbsp
- sugar, 1 tsp
- Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp
- Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp
- freshly ground black pepper
- Toss to evenly coat eggplant and let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours
- 2
- Peel and thinly slice 8 garlic cloves
- Add 3 Tbsp
- vegetable oil and half of garlic to a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until light golden and crisp, about 5 minutes
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic chips to a plate; season lightly with salt
- 3
- Place 4 oz
- ground pork in same pot and break up into small pieces with wooden spoon
- Season with ¼ tsp
- Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned underneath, about 5 minutes
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer to another plate, leaving fat behind in the pot
- 4
- Place eggplant on a clean kitchen towel and blot away any moisture the salt has drawn out
- 5
- Working in batches and adding more oil if needed, cook eggplant in the same pot until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side
- Transfer to a plate with pork
- 6
- Pour 1½ cups of water into the pot and scrape up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon
- Add remaining garlic, 3 Tbsp
- coconut vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp
- soy sauce, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp
- freshly ground black pepper, and remaining 1 Tbsp
- sugar
- Bring to a simmer, then return pork and eggplant to pot
- Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until eggplant is tender and silky and sauce is reduced by half, 20–25 minutes
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper and add a little more sugar if needed
- 7
- Top with garlic chips and serve with cooked white rice