Bitter Melon Stuffed with Meat: A Bittersweet Delight

Sitting on a wooden chair in the yard, basking in the bright sunlight, I hold a bowl of bitter melon stuffed with meat. Through the rim of the bowl, I see the vibrant green of the bitter melon juxtaposed with the vivid red of the meat filling, as if it were the most beautiful color combination in nature. Taking a bite, the taste is refreshing yet rich, like a hint of sweetness amidst life’s subtle bitterness. The mouthful of deliciousness makes me realize that this is life, this is happiness.

Ingredients for Bitter Melon Stuffed with Meat：

Step:

1.To start, let’s prepare the ingredients. Take two bitter gourds and wash them thoroughly. Remove both ends of the bitter gourds and carefully scrape out the insides to ensure they are clean. The texture of the bitter gourd’s flesh is slightly bitter. Once hollowed out, slice the bitter gourd into rings approximately two centimeters thick and arrange them neatly on a plate.

2.Take a piece of streaky pork and slice it into thin strips. Then, finely chop the strips into minced meat. The minced meat will have a more firm texture. Take a small section of scallion, split it in half lengthwise, and then finely chop it into scallion pieces. Combine the scallions with the minced meat. Next, take a small piece of ginger and finely chop it into ginger paste. Add 1 gram of salt, 0.5 grams of pepper, 2 grams of dark soy sauce, and 3 grams of cooking wine to the mixture. Mix everything together by hand, ensuring that the minced meat is well-seasoned.

3.Prepare a small bowl and crack an egg into it. Pour the egg white into the minced meat mixture and continue stirring vigorously in one direction. Add some cornstarch to the mixture and continue stirring in the same direction. This will help give the minced meat a smooth and tender texture when eaten.

4.After preparing the minced meat, stuff it into the hollowed bitter gourd rings. Fill each bitter gourd ring with the minced meat mixture and place them in a bowl. Take a few cloves of garlic, flatten them with the side of a knife, and finely chop them into garlic paste. Take a small piece of ginger, flatten it, and finely chop it into ginger paste. Slice half a red bell pepper into thin strips, then dice it into small pieces to add color to the dish. Place the garlic, ginger, and diced red bell pepper in the same bowl.

Tips:

1.After cutting the bitter gourd into sections, it’s important to remove the core, as this allows the bitter gourd to absorb flavors more easily.

2.The sauce should be cooked until thickened, as this enhances the deliciousness of the bitter gourd stuffed with meat.