Garlic scape and pork stir fry is a very popular and classic homestyle dish that I’ve been eating since childhood. That means that you probably wouldn’t find it in a restaurant, but it’s a dish that’s perfect for your weekday dinner. To create the best texture and appearance, the pork is cut into thin strips so it has the same shape as the cut garlic scapes. The sauce is a super simple brown sauce made with soy sauce and a touch of sugar. Because when you cook with garlic scapes, which are like a combo of aromatic and vegetable, you really don’t need much else to make your dish extra flavorful.
Garlic scape stir fry with pork ingredients
Asian garlic scapes vs. US garlic scapes
Before you start cooking, understand the type of garlic scapes you have. Chances are, if you got yours from an Asian market, it’s probably the Asian type. The ones from the grocery store, farmer’s market and CSA are probably the American type. The Asian type has straighter stems and a lighter color. The texture is tenderer and easier to cook through. The American type has a darker color with a very curly stem. It is much tougher than the Asian type and requires a slightly different cooking method to taste good (more details in the recipe below).
How to cut garlic scapes
To cut garlic scapes, first cut off about 1 to 2” from the stem on the bottom and discard those ends because they tend to be quite tough. You should also remove the tip at the very top, where it’s shaped like the green part of the green onion. Most of the time this tip is quite dried out. And even if it’s not super dry, it’s quite fibrous and can be chewy even after cooking.
How to cut the pork
It can be a bit of a challenge to cut the pork into thin strips. I like to thaw my pork in the fridge, and cut it when it’s still slightly frozen. You can also freeze fresh pork for 30 minutes or so, so it hardens a bit and becomes easier to cut. It’s important to cut the pork along the grain, so it won’t fall apart during cooking. My favorite cut for this dish is pork tenderloin. You can slice it crosswise into thin circles, and then slice the circle along the grain into thin strips. If you have trouble with this cutting method, it’s totally fine to slice the pork into thin pieces (1/4”, 4mm thick). The appearance is less ideal but the taste will still be great.
Mise en place
Before you start cooking, your table should have:
Marinated porkCut up garlic scapesMixed sauceMinced ginger
Sorry I forgot to take a photo of the setup! The dish is so easy to put together so I went into auto pilot mode 😛
How to cook garlic scapes
Now you can serve this dish as a main course over steamed rice or as one of the main courses in a multi-dish meal. The sauce is just enough to coat all the ingredients but the flavor is so rich and pairs very well with steamed rice. A few days ago I also shared a super easy stir fried garlic scape with eggs recipe. Check it out if you’d like an even easier garlic scape recipe for your lunch or dinner!
Other delicious stir fry recipes
15-Minute Pork Fried RiceShredded Pork with Garlic Sauce (鱼香肉丝, Yu Xiang Rou Si)Pork Lettuce Wrap (San Choy Bow)Pork and Garlic Chive Stir FryBeef with Bitter Melon (苦瓜炒牛肉)
