Sichuan-Style Braised Eggplant

Cut each eggplant on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Place eggplant pieces in large bowl, add cold water to submerge and stir in salt. Weight down the eggplants with a plate and keep them submerged for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of canola oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, add eggplant to cover bottom of pan in a single layer and saute until crisp and brown on all sides (roughly 7-10 minutes). Remove pieces using slotted spoon and transfer to another bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding more oil if necessary. Set pan aside but do not rinse.

In another bowl, make sauce by stirring together stock, chile bean paste, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.

Return pan to high heat, add 1 Tablespoon oil, stir in garlic, ginger, celery and horseradish. Saute until golden brown (roughly 2 minutes). Stir in pork and stir-fry until meat turns opaque (roughly 5-7 minutes).

Add sauce to pan and bring to a boil. Stir in eggplant, reduce heat to low, cover, and braise eggplant until tender, (roughly 7-10 minutes). Uncover and simmer for a few minutes to thicken sauce.

Place eggplant and sauce over hot rice and garnish with green onions. Feel free to smack your lips when devouring this dish.