Cream Crackers Pork Chop 苏打饼干猪排

I came to know about cream crackers coating through its use in Hainanese Chicken Chop. This chop is a perfect epitome of fusion Hainanese-Western food. I wanted to try out the cream crackers coating. I am using pork chop as I just happened to have some that I would like to marinade. You can also replace it with chicken chop. 

Nam Yue Pork Belly / Red Fermented Beancurd Pork Belly 南乳炸肉

 

This is my family's favourite for the longest time. Then again, anything crispy is my family's favourite.  It is fragrant, crispy and full of flavour. It is amazing what some little pieces of red fermented beancurd can uplift a normal dish so much.

Easy Recipe - Minced Meat Tofu 肉酱豆腐

Hi, again!

Today I will be introducing a Chinese Style Minced Meat Tofu. There are many variations to Minced Meat Tofu, some like to fry the tofu, some like to cut the tofu into small pieces and some like to use sliced Japanese tofu. In line with my easy recipe theme, I am using steamed whole tofu. No cutting, no frying. It is also my personal preference as I like soft tofu.

Gua Bao with Braised Pork Belly 割包

Gua Bao is a humble Taiwanese street food that has its origins from Fuzhou. It comprises a U-shaped bun sandwiching a piece of luscious pork belly. Traditionally it is topped with pickled vegetables, crushed peanuts and a sprinkle of greens. It is really just another convenient snack in Taiwan that sees lesser light than its other more popular peers like Shilin Fried Chicken, Pineapple Tart or Taiwanese Sausage. On the other hand, it is rather popular in America when chef David Chang adopted it and gave it a new lift in his famed restaurant, Momofuku. The fascination of a "Chinese hamburger" really caught on.

Pork Belly with Taro (Yam) / Wu Tau Kau Yoke 芋頭扣肉

This comfort food has its origins from the Hakkas from China. It has that trademark upside-down presentation that is popular in Hakka dishes. By braising the dish in an upside-down manner for hours, the gravy and flavour are soaked completely by the meat and yam giving you that most scrumptious bite. It is no wonder why it is such a popular household dish.

Honestly speaking, this dish is not much of a looker. Any established chefs would have been appalled at its blackened mashed-up appearance. I would rather call this rustic. But once you have tasted these succulent layers of melt-in-your-mouth proteins, the mere uninspiring appearance would be enough make you salivating. I am not kidding.

Recipe for Chinese Bbq Pork/Char Siu 叉燒

Ok, I have done it.

It seems like every Chinese blogger that I could put my finger to has a recipe for Chinese bbq pork or more fondly known as char siu. Together with siu yuk (crispy pork belly), these two are perhaps the two most blogged about dishes among the Chinese community. And it doesn't surprise me one bit as these two dishes are vastly popular, not only among the Chinese, but also in Western countries. This char siu, it is almost like an icon for Chinese cuisines. You could find its charred bit of succulent, juicy, tender, sweetish savoury portion hanging in the windows of practically every Chinese restaurants around the world.

How to make Crispy Pork Lard and Pork Oil 猪油渣

Now that the two important days of Lunar New Year are over, everything is beginning to get back to normal. I am also getting myself busy again after two full days of unproductive inactivity. As corny as it might sound, I am actually glad to be back to my normal hectic schedule. I know a lot of you are still in the holiday mood. Therefore, I am just going to post something simple.

Chinese New Year Dinner: Five Spice Meat Roll/Ngoh Hiang/Lobak 五香滷肉

Often, this five spice meat roll would be called ngoh hiang (五香) or lobak (滷肉), the shortened Hokkien dialect for this dish. In the northern states of Malaysia, it is more popularly known as lobak whilst moving southwards, this immensely popular dish is known as ngoh hiang.

You could find this dish sold in many hawker stalls but traditionally, this dish is a staple during Chinese New Year dinner (reunion dinner) for the Hokkiens. Nowadays, it is also a staple for the non-Hokkiens' Chinese New Year dinner.

Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (Siu Yuk) 脆皮烧肉

UPDATE 26/7/2018: 

This post was written in early 2016. Two years down the road, I think I have learned much. I am not going to be long winded, just adding a few tips on how to get that brittleness to make a perfect crispy yet tender roasted pork belly.

1. Keep the skin as dry as possible - the longer you keep it in the fridge, the easier to get that brittleness. I have tried 3 days.

2. Scrape the skin, apply some vinegar and continue - that would thin out the skin a little and ensure the lower layer is able to crisp up as well. This will leave no chewiness on the skin.

3. It is ok to have charring on the skin - don't get intimidated when you see burned skin. Scrape it off and continue.

4. Put it as near to the heating element as possible. Level the pork so that the roasting can be equal on all the skin. Shift the unroasted side of the skin direct to the heating element until all the skin are equally roasted.

Barbecue Ribs (Slow Cooker Method) 烤排骨

If you are a connoisseur of good barbecue ribs, you really ought to give this a go. These ribs are as good as those found in restaurants.The best part is, you don't have to barbecue or bake your ribs for hours to get that fall-off-the bones effect. All you need is a reliable slow cooker (also known as crock pot). It is totally stress-free and there is absolutely no need to babysit your ribs while it is cooking. As a busy mom, this method is a God's gift. You would need about 5 minutes to prep, then maybe another minute maximum for you to bring your ribs from the fridge to the slow cooker. By the time you get back from work in the evening, the ribs would be screaming, "eat me" to your hungry stomach. Just finish it off with a 15-minutes bake/grill. I guarantee you would be hearing rave reviews.

Steamed Pork With Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸猪肉

Steamed Pork with Salted Fish is unique. It smells like dead fish but the Chinese love it. Definitely an acquired taste if you ask me. It is a common Chinese household dish that most Chinese home cooks would have known. The key to a good Steamed Pork with Salted Fish is its ingredients. You must get good mui heong salted fish (normally mackerel). Mui heong salted fish is prepared through a fermenting process for several days before curing. I normally find those that are brined in oil. They are soft and mushy but the smell is so pungent your whole house would smell like a dead rat. For the Chinese, this is a double thumbs-up.

Yong Tau Foo 酿豆腐

I didn't know making Yong Tau Foo nowadays is so convenient. I am not talking about instant fish pastes. Those are just too generic, not fresh and not flavourful enough. My mom went to the wet market this morning and she brought a little plastic of Spanish mackerel (tenggiri) back. Apparently the seller has fillet and deboned it for her already! All that was needed was to chop it up, add flavours and give those lovely mackerel a good slap (literally speaking la). The process was made even easier with a ready food processor. Just add everything into the machine and let the machine do all the labourous work. Within minutes, what used to be fish chunks turned into into fine flavourful sticky paste.

Easy Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe 简单古老肉做法

I was a bit hesitant to do this recipe. This is such a common dish. Any Tom, Dick and Harry knows what sweet and sour pork or ku lou yuk is all about. But this dish is a phenomenon. It is so well received it has become an identity to all Chinese restaurants, a must have. With such popularity, how could I refuse?

The recipes available are somewhat different in different parts of the world. Pineapple juice is widely used in the West instead of plum sauce. My guess is that plum sauce is not an easily available item there. And maybe expensive too! Either way, I am not going into which recipe is better. I am just providing you this easy sweet and sour pork recipe as an alternative. And mind you, this alternative rocks!

Crispy Stuffed Tofu Puffs 炸豆包球

After all my postings on desserts in the past week, I think it is only apt that I balance it up with some savouries. Therefore, today I am introducing a simple dish that is easily replicated. A common recipe in the Chinese kitchen - Crispy Stuffed Tofu Puffs. This dish makes a good appetizer or finger food. The trick is to deep-fry it until crispy. This is how I prefer to eat my tofu puffs. Deep-fried to crispy. You could practically hear the crunch. It is so delicious!

Braised Spare Ribs with Fermented Bean Paste (Tauchu) 豆酱炆排骨

Braised spare ribs with fermented bean paste is a simple comfort food that most Chinese home-cooks would have known. Although simple, this dish is heavily flavoured. You would find salty, sweet, hot and a hint of sour, all packed in a dish. The addition of bean paste and preserved black beans, combined with the aromatics, elevates the dish further. It has this distinct "like it or leave it" aroma just like the smell of salted fish. Definitely not a dish to be missed!

Sweet and Sour Spareribs 糖醋排骨

I love telling people this.... No, this sweet and sour spareribs is not the reddish sweet and sour pork more commonly known as ku lou yuk (咕噜肉). No pineapple juice is in this (in fact, the Asian ku lou yuk uses plum sauce and not pineapple juice). This is the real stuff. Black vinegar. Cooked together with good old sugar, lots of it, and some aromatics and you have this sticky, perfectly glazed knock-your-socks-off spareribs. Very easy to make in fact.

Old Cucumber Soup 老黄瓜汤

I am introducing a simple soup today. Every Chinese home cook, especially those from the older generation, knows how to cook a good pot of soup. But I am going ahead anyway as I feel this culture of soup cooking should be preserved. Please excuse me if you find this post too mundane for your palate. I was hoping perhaps, just perhaps, I might be able to impart something to those who are in the dark about boiling a good bowl of soup.

Creamy Butter Pork Chop 奶油豬扒

It is already the eighth day after Chinese New Year. Everything is moving back to its norm. Those nine to five-ers have started to work again. Vendors who normally take a long break during this time have fully reopened their shops. Most importantly, whatever groceries that I needed is now available again (except for that ripe bananas that I so wanted to make a banana cake).

Greetings to a new year! Today, I am going to introduce this Creamy Butter Pork Chop. Well, pork chop is just to finish off the leftover pork chop from our second day's barbecue. It is the sauce that is the star here. In fact, you can pair this sauce with chicken, prawns or any other meat. This sauce is quite often used in Chinese restaurants. I always marvel at how the Chinese embrace western ingredients (in this case thick creamy milk and butter) and make it their dish.

This dish is totally delish but also totally fattening! Well, somebody told me during Chinese New Year, calories don't count. You are on holiday! So perhaps...just perhaps... you might want to give this a last go before you slog it out.

Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (Mui Choy Kau Yoke) 梅菜扣肉

COMPLETE WITH STEP BY STEP PICTORIAL GUIDE

I have finally found my first guest contributor. He is no other than my hubby. He works as a Chinese chef and as all Chinese chefs, they are a bit secretive to reveal their traits. But he is supportive of me. Hence, this recipe. He has been doing this recipe for years and I have to say his mui choy kau yoke or pork belly with preserved mustard greens is well received amongst his customers. If you ask me, this dish is more home-cooked comfort food than restaurant food, just perfect for my humble blog. Whatever it is, I welcome his contribution.

The Hakkas like their dish basic and humble without much refinement. Therefore, it is no wonder that this dish looks totally unappealing with its dark and disarranged appearance. However, whoever who has tried this dish before would know that it is really a hidden gem. The hours of slow cooking added with the unique taste of mui choy (preserved mustard greens) combines well to give you an umami taste that makes you hunger for more! For some, it is an acquired taste but for me, it is love at first bite. Totally love the taste of the pork belly with preserved mustard greens!

This classic dish has so many steps, it is absolute madness. My advice would be to make a big batch and keep it frozen. Then you can savour the taste without having to go through all these steps over and over.

Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (Mui Choy Kau Yoke)

Makes 18 slices of pork belly (approximately 4-5 people)

Ingredients

600 g pork belly
600 g salted mui choy (preserved mustard greens)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp tapioca starch
6-7 slices old ginger
8 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp oil
oil for frying

Cooking Instruction

1. Wash and soak mui choy from all the dirt and salt. Soak in water overnight changing the water every few hours. Drain mui choy, squeeze dry and cut into 1 inch at the stem and about 2 inches for the leafs.

2. Blanch pork to remove odour and impurities. Prick the skin with a meat tenderiser (see pix). Dry meat with a kitchen towel. Rub some dark soya sauce on the skin to give the pork belly some colour.

3. Heat some oil in a wok/pan. Sear pork, skin side down. Be careful with the oil splatter when putting the pork in. I made a mistake of not drying the meat enough resulting in hot oil splattering on my hand. Once skin becomes cooked, remove from oil and soak it in water to rid excess oil. Drain pork and cut into slices of 1/2 inch thick. Set aside.

4. Fry mui choy in a wok with no oil until dry. Remove. Using the same wok, heat up 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger slices and garlic. Fry until fragrant. Add fried mui choy into wok again and continue to fry. Add pork and seasoning into wok. Then add water just enough to cover pork. Simmer for about 10-15 mins. Turn off heat. Add tapioca starch that has been mixed with one tsp water to thicken the sauce.

5. Arrange pork belly into a bowl, skin side down. Pack mui choy over the pork slices. Cover with aluminiun foil.

6. Steam bowl of pork for 3 to 4 hours in very slow fire. The longer it is steamed, the more flavourful and tender the meat is.

7. Remove aluminium foil. Put a plate on top of bowl and make a quick turn. There you have it. The "downside-up" pork belly (扣肉) !

Note:
If you have a stove pressure cooker, put bowl into pressure cooker with about 2 inches of water and cook in high pressure for 30-40 mins.

Update 6/4/2019: Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker is a popular tool now. Here's the adapted recipe. 

1. Follow step 1 to 3. 
2. Then add some oil in pressure cooker, and saute the garlic and ginger in bake mode until fragrant. Add in preserved mustard and continue to fry until the vege dries up. Remove.
3. Add all the pork belly into the pressure cooker. Add seasoning, starch and water just enough to cover the vegetables (not too much). Close lid and cook at KPT  (keep pressure time) 25 mins. Leave it for another 10 mins after timer beeps before manual release. Serve.

Chinese Dumpling Soup (Sui Kow) 水餃

This dish really needs no introduction. I bet every Chinese (and many non Chinese) around the world knows what this is. In fact, it is so popular that it has become part of the Chinese culture. Go to any Chinese restaurants overseas and most likely you would find something like this in the menu.