Stir-fried pickled mustard greens with minced pork (a perfect Hunan dish to eat with rice)

Stir-fried pickled mustard greens with minced pork is a staple at Hunan restaurants—almost every table orders it. The bright green pickled mustard greens are coated in fragrant minced pork, mixed with the slight spiciness of diced red peppers. It's crisp and chewy, with a savory and delicious flavor. It's so good with rice that you can easily eat two large bowls; it's a universally acknowledged "rice-eating king." Going to a Hunan restaurant and not ordering it is like not truly experiencing the authentic flavors of Hunan cuisine!

Ingredients

500g pickled mustard greens
350g of minced pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat
5g salt
3 slices of ginger
Garlic cloves, 3 cloves
Two red bell peppers (Choose the type of chili pepper according to your spice tolerance.)
1 tablespoon cooking wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
5 grams of sugar

Steps

Soak the pickled mustard greens for half an hour and wash them clean → Soak the pickled mustard greens in clean water first, then scrub them clean.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of baking soda, add the pickled mustard greens and cook for 1 minute, then remove and place in cold water. → Bring the pot to a boil again (add oil and baking soda to maintain the green color), cook the pickled mustard greens for 1 minute, then immediately soak in cold water to prevent them from turning into yellow "vegetable residue".
Once the pickled mustard greens have completely cooled, squeeze out as much water as possible by hand—don't hesitate to squeeze out as much as you can. Then chop them into small pieces, as finely as possible, like chopping dumpling filling, so they absorb the flavor better. If you have a strainer bag, put the chopped pickled mustard greens in it and squeeze out the water again. Doing this will prevent the dish from being soggy when you stir-fry it.
Next, prepare the side dishes: slice the garlic, cut the ginger into thin strips, and chop the chili into small pieces. Set them aside and wait for them to be used.
Time to stir-fry the minced meat: Pour cold oil into a cold pan, then add the minced meat directly. Turn on low heat, cover the pan, and don't stir it—if you dare to stir it now, it will stick to the whole pan! Wait until the oil slowly seeps out of the pan before stirring it; it will behave well and won't stick.
When the minced meat is fried until golden brown and fragrant, drizzle a spoonful of cooking wine along the edge of the pan. The aroma will burst out with a "sizzle" sound. Turn it over a couple of times to coat it evenly.
Push the stir-fried minced meat to the side of the pan, add ginger, garlic and chili and stir-fry until fragrant. The aroma is so strong that you want to take a spoonful and taste it. Then mix it with the minced meat and stir well.
Next, push the minced meat to the side of the pot, pour in the chopped pickled mustard greens and stir-fry quickly for a few seconds. Then mix them together with the minced meat and other side dishes and stir-fry evenly.
Finally, add a spoonful of salt, a tablespoon of oyster sauce, and a small spoonful of sugar to the pot to season. Stir well and it's ready to serve.
The weather in Guangzhou is starting to get cooler, and we're used to using a food warmer when it's chilly! Just put the food on it, and it stays warm from the first bite to the last, instantly elevating our happiness from "just getting by" to "a family feast for the New Year"! Look at my family, braised pork ribs and curry are always the star dishes, making you drool! 😀 I recommend that those who can afford it get one of these food warmers when it gets cold. It's not a rip-off; it's a winter lifesaver for us foodies!