Pan fry Pork Chop (Asian style)

Ingredients (12 pieces)
3 tbsp light soya sauce
3 tbsp rice wine
6 tsp sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 + 1/4 tsp five spice powder
1 tbsp garlic mince
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg, lighten beaten
drizzle a bit of sesame oil
6 tbsp cornstarch

Pig Trotters in Ginger and Sweetened Vinegar

Pork Belly Mui Choi ( Preserved Mustard Greens Braised Pork Belly)

A traditional Hakka dish, with sweet and salty pickled mustard greens and the slow-cooked melty pork belly, simply delicious.  Being a Hakka, this is something we always have for meals at home.
It goes so good with just plain rice and, you would ask for 2 bowls of rice for sure.

You can easily get this packet of preserved mustard greens from the Asian grocery shop.
I used the whole packet.



Recipe from: Going with my gut ( with alterations)
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 kg pork belly, no bones preferred ( medium-fatty pieces, cut into strips)
1 packet mui choy( soak for 1 hour, clean and rinse 3 times. Dice into 1 cm sections)
10 big gloves of garlic (peeled, roughly chopped)
2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons dark soya sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar / granulated sugar

Get your butcher to cut them into slabs for you.
Fry until it turns lightly browned.

2 main ingredients 

I use a claypot for cooking this.
It should do better than metal pot, my personal preference.

Method
Heat up the work over medium high heat, lightly brown all sides of the pork belly. Set aside.
Fry the garlic until softened, add in the chopped mui choi and stir fry for 15 minutes.
Transfer mui choy with garlic into a large pot ( I use a clay pot).
Place pork belly on top of the bed of mui choi.
Mix in the sugar and dark soya sauce with everything.
Pour in boiing water until all ingredients is covered.
Slow cook on low heat for at least 3 hours.
( add extra salt and dark soya sauce as necessary. Mine is just perfect).

Korean Pork Bulgogi (cheater's version)

My son's favourite, he always ends up having two large plates of rice for this. I have to thank my Korean house painter for giving me such a good idea.  It is so simple, great for busy or lazy nights. Only 4 ingredients involved, yet is still a very tasty meal.


Ingredients
1 kg Pork neck
( thinly sliced, it would be the type that you use for Korean BBQ, I got it from local Korean grocery shop).
2  extra large onions (3 medium large), sliced thinly
1 big bunch of spring onions, cut them into about 3cm long.
1 bottle Pork Bulgogi marinade sauce (228ml), use it all. ( see picture below)

it is fairly cheap, cost me below A $3 actually

4 main ingredients

to marinade and rest in the fridge for a few hours

half way through, it will show up liquid all over the pan.
Don't worry, keep going, it will absorb back to the ingredients.

after 20 minutes, it is done,
very tasty meal

Method
In a large mixing bowl, mix in all prepared ingredients. Toss and mix well.
Wrap with cling wrap, keep in the fridge for a few hours.
Heat up oil on your nonstick pan, pour in everything. (use medium high heat all the way).
Set your timer to 20 minutes.
Stir and mix every now and then so that the meat get into the sauces.  Half way through, you see liquid appearing in the pan, don't do anything, just keep stirring and mixing...
When timer beeps, it is done.

Maple Syrup Chicken with Capsicums and Cashew Nuts

         Recipe: Gourmet living magazine
     Ingredients
     500g chicken drumstick meat ( cut into pieces)
     some water
     40g green, red and yellow capsicums (seeded and cut into pieces)
     1 tbsp oil
     40g deep-fried cashew nuts ( I just slightly toasted it in the oven)

     Marinade
     1/2 tsp pepper
     1 tbsp light soya sauce

     Seasoning
     3 tbsp maple syrup
     1 tsp dark soya sauce
     1 tsp salt



      Method
      1.  Marinade chicken for about an hour.
      2. Cook a pot of water.  Blanch capsicums for 2 minutes.  Remove, drain and set aside.
      3.  Pour oil into a frying pan.  Pan-fry chicken till golden brown.
      4.  Dilute maple syrup and dark soya sauce with 100ml water.  Pour into frying pan and cook till gravy thickens.
      5.  Add capsicums and cashew nuts and pan-fry awhile.  Then add salt to season.

Hot and spicy rice cake(Ddeokbokki)

                        So, with the homemade rice cake, I finally made Ddeokbokki.
                        Very delicious!  Hot, spicy, chewy...


          Recipe: Maangchi
      Ingredients
      500g cyclinder shaped rice cake---use more if not adding eggs and fish cake
      4 cups water
      7 large dried anchovies (heads and intestines removed)
      6x8 inch dried kelp
      1/3 cup hot pepper paste
      1 tbsp hot pepper flakes
      1 tbsp sugar
      3 green onions (cut into 3 inch long pieces)
      2 hard boiled eggs, shelled (optional)
      1/2 pound fish cakes (optional)

hot pepper paste, hot pepper flake and green onion

top left:  Korean fish cake  and dried kelp
bottom left:  anchovy and homemade rice cake
( picture shown is anchovy powder,  I used dried anchovy in the end as I heard this would not as tasty)

It is such a tasty, clear soup.
( here I just added and the fish cake, kelp and anchovies had to be taken out after 15 minutes of boiling

keep on going...til sauce gets slightly more thickened than this.

     Method
     1.  Add the water, dried anchovies and dried kelp to a shallow pot of pan.

     2.  Boil for 15 minutes over medium high heat without the lid.

     3.  Mix together the sauces-- hot pepper paste, hot pepper flakes and sugar in a small bowl.  Remove the anchovies ad kelp.  Add in the rice cake, sauces, green onions and optional fish cakes and hard boiled eggs. It will come up to about 2 1/2 cups.

     4.  Stir gently when it starts to boil.  Keep stirring until the rice cakes turns soft and the sauce thickens and looks shinny (takes about 10 to 15 minutes).

     5.  Remove from heat and serve hot.

     note: If you are using freshly made rice cake, it will take shorter time to cook through. Frozen type need to be thawed and soaked in cold water to soften before cooking.  Also, take note not to over cook the rice cakes as it will turn soggy and not tasty.

     

     

Honey Maltose BBQ ( Char Siew)

gluey sticky sauce, really good.

Recipe from: No-frills Recipes
Ingredients
1 kg pork belly without skin
4 and 1/2 tbsp honey
4 and 1/2 tbsp Maltose
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
3 and 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 and 1/4 tsp five spice powder
3 tbsp shaoxin wine

next, drizzle a bit of shaoxin wine and serve with some remaining sauce.
I think I will get more "fatty" pork belly next round :)

Method
1.  Combine honey, maltose, dark and light soya sauce, five spice powder and pepper in a saucepan. On a very low heat, stir and heat gently.  Let cool.

2.  Pour the cooled sauce over the pork belly, stir and marinade well,  cover and keep in the fridge overnight ( I just let it rest for several hours instead).

3.  In a wok, together with the thawed pork belly ( at room temperature) and 1/2 cup water, let it  cook on medium heat.  Once the meat is tender, dish out some sauce and reserve for serving.  Let meat continue to cook with the remaining sauce till semi-dry.

4.  Transfer to oven and grill for 2 minutes on both sides. Remove, drizzle with shaoxin wine.

5.  Slice up the meat and serve with white rice or noodle.

Nyonya Curry Chicken and Roti Canai

             Another recipe from Poh's Kitchen,  truely yummy and again,  real Malaysian taste..

       The list for the ingredients may sound long, but it is actually easy to make.  Everyone loved it.

 

       Recipe: Poh's Kitchen ( very helpful video)
    Ingredient (Rempah / Spice paste)

    3 tbsp coriander seeds
    1 tsp cumin seeds
    1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    15 dried chillies, deseeded, soaked in hot water (10 minutes), drained and chopped
    270g red shallots, roughly chopped
    3 cloves garlic
    20g belachan, toasted ( chop finely, scatter thinly onto a double layer foil, wrapped and get it toasted)
    25g fresh turmeric root
    3 tablespoon coconut cream
    6 -7 sprigs of curry leaves
    4 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 star anise
    2 whole cloves
    1 cinnamon sticks
    1 and 1/2 kg chicken thigh fillets
    300g baby chat potatoes peeled and halved
    2 bird eye chillies, de-seeded and halved lengthways
    400ml coconut milk
    1 tablespoon salt
    1 teaspoon sugar
    100ml coconut cream
    2 pandan leaves, shredded lengthways and knotted




Roti Chanai
(makes 8 to 10 roti)
500g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup water
2 tablspoons condensed milk
2 tablespoon margarine, at room temperature
1/2 egg, lightly whisked
extra margarine
extra vegetable oil

Rempah / Spice paste well grinded earlier
taking enough time to fry and bring out the fragrance now

Method ( Curry):
1.  Dry toast coriander, cumin and fennel seeds in a frypan until fragrant and beginning to smoke. Tip into a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder and grind to a powder ( I used powder instead, and added straight into the food processor as together with the ingredients in (2) below here.)

2.  In a small food processor, together with seeds (above), gradually add in dry chillies, shallots, garlic, belachan, turmeric, with a small amounts at a  time, pulverize to achieve a fine paste.

3.  Heat oil in a heavy based saucepan or wok, to a medium heat. Toast star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick for about 20 seconds. Add spice paste and saute for about 6 to 10 minutes or until the sauce is very fragrant and the oil is separating from the rempah. Add in coconut cream, pandan leaves and curry leaves. Keep cooking until very fragrant. Paste is ready when the oil begins to separate from the mixture and rising to the surface.

4.  Add chicken pieces and stir for a minute. Add potatoes (half boiled in advance) , coconut milk, salt and sugar. Cover and simmer until chicken and potatoes are tender. Add coconut cream and bird eye chillies for further 5 minutes. Serve with roti and or steamed jasmine rice.


Method ( Roti Canai)
click here

Black Beef Nasi Kandar ( Malaysian)

A very good recipe, so yummy, real taste of Malaysia!



Recipe from: Poh's Kitchen
Ingredients

2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons beef curry powder
Handful of fresh curry leaves
Handful of fresh mint leaves
150ml vegetable oil
5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tomatoes, pureed
1 kg beef topside, cut into 2cm x 2cm cubes
2cm ginger root, sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons dark palm sugar
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
100ml water
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced

half way cooking...

done!
it should turn quite dark colour, also it is quite dry too.
beef is tender though :)

Method

1.  Mix chili powder and beef curry powder with a little water to make a thick paste.

2. Add curry and mint leaves to hot oil and fry.

3.  Add shallots, onions and garlic.

4.  Add curry and chili paste and stir.

5.  When cooked add:  Tomato puree, beef, fresh tomato, palm sugar, white sugar, salt and dark soya sauce.

6.  Add a little water and cook until beef is tender.

7.  Season with salt as necessary an serve with white rice.

Pork Belly with Wood Ear Fungus ( Hakka)

This is a homecook Hakka food.

I love it because I am also a Hakka :)

Recipe from:  Poh's Kitchen
Ingredients

1kg pork belly
4 to 5 pieces red fermented bean curd
1 teaspoon 5 spice powder
1 and 1/2 tablespoons shaoxin rice wine
2 tablespoons onion juice, grate and squeeze juice
1 litre peanut or vegetable oil
80g wood ear fungus
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 litre water
2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons water



Method

1.  Slice rind away from the pork belly.  Slice pork belly into 3cm wide strips. Then, cut strips into 1 and 1/2 cm wide pieces.

2.   To marinade:
 Combine fermented bean curd, 5 spice powder, shaoxin rice and onion juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly till no lumps. Add pork belly pieces to marinade, massage into meat and allow to sit for minumim 2 hour but preferably overnight.

3.  To prepare the fungus:
Soak wood ears in water for about half an hour or till rehydrated. Drain water and tear each piece roughly into 2 to 3 pieces, discarding any woody parts. Set aside.

4.  Mix egg and flour into the marinating pork.

5.  In a large saucepan or wok, heat oil to medium to high heat. Deep fry about 10 pieces of pork at a time, till pork pieces are rich, rusty brown.

6.  Transfer pork into a clay pot or saucepan and add water, sugar, oyster sauce and bring to boil. Simmer for half an hour.

7. Add fungus and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Season with more oyster sauce and sugar if necessary. Mix cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water and incorporate into sauce. Bring to boil till sauce thickens. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and a green vegetable stir fry.

Crispy Roast Pork Belly (Siew Yuk)

Moist inside, crispy skin 

  This recipe is adapted from Bily Law, my favourite Australian Masterchef finalist 2011. By the way,  he is originally from my hometown too :)
  You may also like to check out his 2 cookbooks, Man Food and Have you eaten.

       Recipe from : A table for two (Billy Law)
    Ingredients
    3 kg pork belly (with skin on)
    1 bag rock salt

score the skin,  blanch and cook a little in the boiled water

pat dry using paper towel, marinade the flesh, leave it overnight in the fridge

after 30 minutes in the oven, remove out and sprinkle salt on top of the pork belly.
 preheated oven 250C, continue roasting for another 30 minutes, 

Highest shelf in the oven, "grill" on.
Oops, I should have removed the hot water pan by now.

Scoring it in vertical lines 2 -3 cm apart does make it easy when chopped

  Method

  1.  Clean the pork belly, scrape the skin with a knife to get rid of any hair. Pat dry all over with kitchen towel.  

  2.  Score the skin in vertical lines about 2-3 cm apart.  Boil some hot water, pour the hot water over the skin and let it blanch and cook a little (  I just cooked it in pot for a short moment).

  3.  Pat dry the pork completely, especially the scored lines on the skin.

  4.  Rub marinade ( your choice ) evenly into the meat.  DO NOT rub on the skin. Clean it with a paper towel if there's any marinade get on the skin.

  5.  Put the pork belly in baking tray, wrap with cling wrap, leave in the fridge to marinade at least 2 hour or overnight.

  6.  Pre-heat oven to 220C, pat dry the skin again to get rid any moisture.  Roast the pork belly for 30 minutes until the skin turns brown.

  7.  Remove form the oven,  sprinkle rock salt all over the skin and try rub some into the scored lines.

( Don't worry the amount of salt used here, it can be brushed off later).

  8.  Put it back in the oven and roast for another 30 minutes.  At this point, the skin will be crispy and with very small bubbles blistering the skin.

  9.  Turn the oven to 250C, move the pork belly to the highest tray in the oven, as close to the top heat element as possible.  "Grill" it for another 20-30 minutes at every 10 minute interval.  Keep checking it until the skin is evenly blistered and make sureit is not burned and blackened.

 10. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before chopping it up with cleaver.  

  Note: For my pork belly, I had a pan filled with hot water placed on the bottom of the oven. When "grill on" at the last stage, I removed the hot water.  Also, I used sea salt, five spice powder and white pepper powder to marinade the flesh.