Ground Pork and Zucchini with Brown Sauce
Tender zucchini and minced pork in a flavourful soy and oyster sauce. A family favourite, this dish is fast and easy to prepare for a weeknight!
Ingredients
For Minced Pork
- 1/2 lb minced lean pork
- 2 tbsp rice wine (or Shaoxing wine) - See Note 1
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
For Remaining Dish
- 3 medium zucchinis
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger grated (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp chili flakes optional
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup water/broth of your choice
- 3 tsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce) - see Note 2
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- salt to taste
- grapeseed oil for cooking (or vegetable oil)
- chopped green onion optional for garnish
Instructions
- Combine minced pork, rice wine, corn starch, light soya sauce and salt in a bowl. Mix well and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
- Peel and cut zucchini into cubes about 1/2 inch thick
- Heat a wok or stainless steel pot on medium/high heat. Add a little oil once hot
- Add chopped onion, grated ginger and a pinch of salt to heated pot. Sautée onions until a little translucent (approx. 2 mins)
- Add marinated minced pork and minced garlic, stir and cook for 3-5 mins until pork has almost entirely changed color and starting to brown. Make sure the bottom of the pot isn't burning, lower heat to medium if necessary. If the pork sticks to the bottom of the pot, don't worry, we will deglaze with liquid in the next step.
- Add light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, white pepper, fish sauce, brown sugar, chili flakes (if using) and cubed zucchini
- Mix everything thoroughly and add water/broth to deglaze (the brown bits at the bottom of the pot is flavour!)
- Cover and lower heat to low/medium. Cook for 5 mins stirring halfway
- While your dish simmers, mix the 3 tsp of corn starch with 2 tbsp of water to make a slurry
- Uncover the dish after 5 mins and pierce zucchini with fork to check if cooked. The zucchini should be slightly translucent but still keep its shape. Cover and cook an extra 2 more mins if you want the zucchini softer (based on your preference)
- Once the zucchini is cooked, the dish should be a bit watery which we thicken to make a yummy sauce! Switch heat to low, mix and add 1/2 the corn starch slurry and stir the dish gently. The mixture should start to thicken. If still too watery, add remaining corn starch slurry a little at a time and stirring until desired thickness. If too thick, add a little water
- Add oyster sauce and sesame oil to finish
- Top with chopped green onion and an extra pinch of salt (optional). Enjoy over steamed rice!
Notes
Note 1 - Rice wine is not the same as rice vinegar. Rice vinegar will add a sour taste profile to the pork (not a savoury one). Japanese cooking wine or dry sherry are good alternatives. Leave out altogether in the absence of a cooking wine
Note 2 - Hoisin will give a sweeter flavour to the sauce. Adding oyster sauce (or hoisin) will add great flavour in the finished dish. If both sauces are unavailable, add in extra soy sauce to taste.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!