Tortang Talong with Ground Pork Recipe

You can add ground pork to your eggplant omelet to make something like this. I simply call it tortang talong with ground pork. This dish is like tortang talong and tortang giniling combined.

While it looks yummy, it will even be yummier if you serve it with your favorite condiment. Banana ketchup is more than enough, as far as I am concerned.

Let me give you some pointers before you start. The first thing to do is to peel the skin off the eggplant. Do this by first exposing the eggplant directly on fire until the skin gets a bit burnt. It will be easier to peel the skin off this way. You can also bake or grill the eggplant.

The ground pork mixture (giniling) is simply made by sautéing garlic, onion, and tomato with the ground pork. Season it with salt and pepper towards the end

nitially cook the eggplant the same way we do when making tortang talong. Run a fork over the peeled eggplant to flatten it, and then dip in beaten egg before frying. The ground pork will only be placed on one side to make the process simpler. Arrange half of the ground pork over the eggplant as you fry the other side, and then pour enough beaten egg to cover it. I usually pour hot oil over the beaten egg to partially cook it. This will hold the ground pork and prevent it from falling off. Simply scoop oil from the pan using a small spoon and pour over the eggplant. Do this until the egg on top turns solid.

I think the step when we need to turn the eggplant over is not the easiest. What I usually do is grab a wide spatula (big enough to accommodate the eggplant) and quickly flip it to cook the opposite side. It takes a little practice to perfect it.

Ingredients

• 2 Chinese eggplants
• 3 eggs
• 6 to 8 ounces ground pork
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves crushed garlic, minced
• 8 tablespoons cooking oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the eggplant directly over a stove top until the sides skin turns black. Remove and let it cool down. Peel the skin off and arrange in a plate. Flatten each piece using a fork. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. Saute garlic, onion, and tomato.
3. Add ground pork. continue to cook until the pork turns light brown. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
4. Heat remaining oil in a clean pan.
5. While the oil is being heated, crack eggs and place in a bowl. Beat until smooth.
6. Dip a piece of eggplant into the bowl with egg. Make sure that the entire eggplant gets completely coated.
7. Gently slide the eggplant into the pan.
8. While one side is frying, arrange half of the ground pork mixture over the eggplant. Pour 2 tablespoons of beaten egg to cover the pork mixture. Tip: Scoop oil from the pan using a spoon and pour over the eggplant. This will partially cook the beaten egg on top, which will act as a binder to prevent the meat mixture from falling apart.
9. Flip the eggplant over to cook the opposite side. Note: you can use a wide spatula, or you can temporarily transfer the eggplant to a plate. If using the plate method, empty the oil from the pan first. Hold the pan in one hand and the plate on the other. Cover the plate with the pan and quickly flip the pan so that it facing up. The side with ground pork should be facing down at this point. Continue to cook in medium to high heat until the tortang talong with ground pork is fully cooked. Do the same step for the remaining eggplant.
10. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve.