The fatty, crispy-edged pork belly renders its rich fat to coat the tender-crisp garlic scapes , while a light soy-based sauce ties everything together with savory, garlicky, slightly sweet notes.
It’s an everyday (rice-pairing dish) that’s simple to make yet tastes like comfort food from home.
Ingredients (serves 3–4 with rice)
- Pork belly — 300–400 g, skin on, sliced into 3–4 mm thick pieces
- Garlic scapes — 400–500 g (about 2–3 bunches), trimmed and cut into 5–6 cm segments
- Garlic — 4–5 cloves, sliced or smashed
- Ginger — 1-inch piece, thinly sliced or julienned
- Dried red chilies — 2–3 (optional, broken into pieces for mild heat)
- Green onion — 1 stalk, white part sliced, green part chopped for garnish
- Light soy sauce — 2–3 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce — ½–1 tbsp (for color)
- Shaoxing wine — 1–2 tbsp
- Sugar — 1–2 tsp (or rock sugar)
- Salt — ¼–½ tsp (to taste)
- Ground white pepper — pinch
- Cooking oil — 2–3 tbsp (neutral oil; pork belly will release fat)
- Optional: ½ tsp sesame oil (final aroma)
- Prepare the pork belly
- Slice pork belly into thin, bite-sized pieces (about 3–4 mm thick × 4–5 cm long). Keeping the skin on adds crisp texture and flavor.
- Optional but recommended: blanch the slices in boiling water with 1–2 slices ginger + 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine for 1–2 minutes to remove impurities. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat very dry.
- Prep the garlic scapes
- Trim off the tough ends and flower buds of the garlic scapes.
- Cut into 5–6 cm segments (diagonal cuts look nicer and cook more evenly).
- Rinse and drain well. Set aside.
- Stir-fry the pork
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat (no oil yet — pork belly is fatty).
- Add pork slices in a single layer. Fry 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until fat renders and slices turn golden-brown with crispy edges.
- Push pork to the side of the wok. Tilt to collect the rendered fat (you should have 2–3 tbsp; add 1 tbsp neutral oil if too little).
- Add sliced garlic, ginger, white parts of green onion, and dried chilies (if using). Stir-fry 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add garlic scapes
- Increase heat to high.
- Add garlic scapes. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until bright green and slightly blistered (they should stay crisp-tender).
- Season & finish
- Pour in Shaoxing wine — let it sizzle and evaporate slightly (10–15 seconds).
- Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, and white pepper.
- Toss everything vigorously for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the pork and scapes evenly.
- Turn off heat. Drizzle sesame oil (optional) and give one final toss.
- Taste and adjust — it should be savory, slightly sweet, with strong garlic aroma and tender pork.
- Serve
- Transfer to a serving plate.
- Garnish with chopped green onion tops.
- Serve hot with plenty of steamed white rice — the rendered pork fat and sauce make the rice incredibly flavorful.
- Pork belly → Choose good marbling with skin on — it crisps up beautifully and flavors the dish.
- Garlic scapes → Don’t overcook — they should be bright green and have a slight crunch. If scapes are very thick, blanch 30 seconds first.
- Sauce balance → Sugar is important — it balances the salt and enhances the natural sweetness of garlic scapes.
- Wok hei → High heat and quick tossing at the end give the best flavor and aroma.
- Variations →
- Add sliced red bell pepper or dried chili for color and heat.
- For lighter version: use lean pork shoulder instead of belly.
- For richer version: add a splash of dark soy or oyster sauce.
- Storage → Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep in fridge 1–2 days; reheat in a hot wok with splash of water.
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