Candied Pork Ribs

I simply love this dish because the cane sugar and the vinegar gives it a sweet and sour taste with a rich caramelized brown syrupy aroma. It is a colorful dish for any occasion.
Ingredients:
5 strips of baby pork ribs, cut into bite sized (between the bones)
1 egg yolk
All-purpose flour for coating
salt and pepper
1 piece of brown candy (cane sugar imported from China)
¼ cup brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Oil for deep frying
Method:
1. Pat ribs dry, season with salt and pepper and egg yolk. Set aside. Add enough flour in a bowl to coat the meat.
2. In a deep pan, heat enough oil for deep fry. Turn heat on high. Using a long chopsticks or tong, pick a piece of meat and coat with flour, shake off access flour and gently put into pan. Fry till golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Note: Do not add too much meat to cook at one time and discard used oil.

3. Remove oil from pan, reheat pan on low heat. Break the cane sugar and let it melt in the pan, stirring to prevent burning. Warm the vinegar slighty and add to the sugar mixture slowly, stirring to prevent sugar from crystalizing. Adjust to your taste, add a little more cane sugar or vinegar to balance the sweet and sour taste. Next toss in the ribs and give it a quick stir to mix well with the sauce. Serve hot with rice.
Note: A friend suggest that I submit this dish to "Aspiring Bakers #15-Auspicious Dishes for CNY, hosted by Wen's Delight.
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Pork Nuggets in Fragrant Sauce

I love to serve this appetizing dish with its spicy and piquant sauce. The pork are deep fried to a crispy brown golden color and serve with the sauce.
Ingredients:
½ lb pork tenderlion or pork shoulder
2 shallots, chopped
some cornstarch, mixed with water
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Oil for frying
Sauce:
¾ cup good quality black vinegar
2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar (3 if maltose sugar not available)
1 Tbsp. maltose sugar (optional)
¾ cup water
¼ cup Chinese hua diao wine
2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. Dijon or English mustard
Marinade:
2 tsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. oyster sauce
1 egg
1 tsp. rice vinegar
some constarch, mixed with a little water

Method:
1. Wash meat and pat dry. Cut meat into bite-size cubes and put into a bowl. Mix the marinade ingredients and add to meat to season for at least half an hour.
2. Gently heat sauce ingredients, except the wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until sugar dissolve and add some constarch to thicken. Season to taste according to your taste. When the sauce has thicken slightly add wine and stir for another minute. Remove and set aside.
3. Heat enough oil in a deep pan for frying. Coat a few pieces of meat in the flour, shaking off excess flour. When oil is hot and sizzling, drop meat carefully into the hot oil. Fry until meat turns golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat the same with the rest of the meat.
4. In another clean pan, some oil and fry shallots until soft and fragrant. Add in the sauce, followed with fried pork. Thicken with cornstarch mixture if needed and stir-fry briefly.
5. Remove and transfer to plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Cook's Tip: When deep frying, the oil should cover ingredients and oil should be heat in high temperature (190°C/375°F). When adding ingredients to the oil, be sure to use a long chopstick or tong and gently add along the pan or wok side. Do not overcrowd when deep frying.
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Shanghai Noodles Soup in Brown Meat Sauce

When I have a craving for noodles, I usually cook a bowl of this Shanghainese noodle soup. It is a simple dish of meat and pickled mustard greens in brown sauce. I had this many years ago at a friend's house and I remembered how she would make her own noodles and spend hours washing the fresh mustard greens and pickle them in salt. Nowadays, you can easily purchase these plastic wrapped pickled mustard greens in Chinese supermarkets. I loved mine served with sambal belachan, a spicy hot chili sauce with shrimp paste) on the side.
Ingredients:
1 lb Shanghai noodles (or fresh or packaged Udon noodles)
½ lb lean grounded pork, or beef
2 (12 oz.) pickled fresh mustard greens (washed and drained well)
2 slices of ginger, minced
5 cups low salt chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 eggs, beaten (for garnishing)
Fried minced garlic (optional)
Sauce:
1 Tbsp. dark black soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dark sweet sauce
2 tsp. soy paste
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
3 tsp. cornstarch
Method:
1. Mixed the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat some oil in a pan pour half of the egg mixture to form a thin omelet. Flip over and brown both sides of omelette. Remove and cook the rest of the egg mixture to make 2 omelettes. When cooled enough to handle, roll omelettes and cut into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan and fry ginger until fragrant but not brown. Fry the mustard greens for about 10 minutes until fragrant. Add the grounded pork and fry until pork is no longer pink and cooked evenly, then add in the sauce ingredients, followed by the 4 cups of the broth. Stir to mix well and turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until greens are soft and sauce has thickened slightly. Add more broth to the mixture if you like it more soupy. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
3. Divide noodles into individual bowls and pour meat sauce gravy on top. Garnish with egg strips and fried garlic.
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Pork in Chinese Herbal Tea/Bak Kut Teh

Bak Kut Teh, literary means "Meat Bones Herbal Tea" and it is a dish that is popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It is basically a hearty meal of various cuts of pork simmered in an assortment of Chinese medicinal herbs that is nourishing and healthy for the body. Legend has it that this soup originated with the Chinese migrants who worked as hard laborers in Southeast Asia during the 19th century. In order to have enough energy to cope with the demanding nature of their job, they needed a hearty breakfast and hence, this soup was conceived. My mother would usually make this from scratch and would get the herbal concoction from the Chinese medicine shop. A friend mailed me a few packages of these pre-mix Bak Kut Teh Herbs and I am going to give it a try.

Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs. pork bones
1 ½ lbs. pork spare ribs, cut into 2-inch length
1 ½ lbs. fresh side belly pork, cut into 2-inch length
Fried tofu puffs, halved and quartered
12 dried shitake mushrooms, pre-soaked with water
2 packets Bak Kut Teh
1 piece Dong Quai root, cut into pieces (Chinese angelica sinensis)
1 stick cinnamon
6 pieces star anise
2 whole garlic, unpeeled (pre-roast in oven)
5-10 peppercorns
½ cup soy sauce (good quality)
5 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
Butter Rice:
3 shallots, sliced thinly
rice
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Method:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add scald pork bones and meat for about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat when there is a layer of scum or impurities floating on top. Rinse the meat and bones under running water and return to a clean pot.
2. Bring to a boil on high for about 20 minutes, add in mushrooms and roasted garlic. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour until meat is tender. Remove the pork belly and spare ribs, leaving the bones, mushrooms and spices in the pot. Add soy sauces, fried tofu puffs and simmer for another hour. Season to taste if needed.
3. Fry shallots in one tablespoon of oil until crispy and brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Wash rice and cook in rice cooker. Before the rice cooker's warm button comes up, quickly mix in melted butter and shallots into the cooked rice. Stir to mix well, and press warm button to keep rice warm.
4. To serve, spoon meat and tofu in a pot and pour in hot soup. Serve with steamed rice or butter rice.
Cook's note: If you want to make this soup from scratch, the ingredients are translated verbatim from the package. 20 g each of Chinese angelica sinensis root, 5 pieces licorice root, 10 gm chuan xiong, 2 cinnamon sticks,  30 gm. yu zu, 40 gm. dang shen, dried tangerine peel, dried cukor, and cloves.
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Tamarind Pork

This is a simple dish that is flavorful and great for the hot summer weather. I served this with stir fried summer squash from our garden.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork butt or shoulder pork, cut into 3" cubes
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp. tamarind paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 piece dried tamarind peel
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
Spices:
2 tsp. lemon grass powder
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. chilli powder
Method:
1. Marinade pork with spices and set aside. Heat oil in pan and fry onions until soft and fragrant.  Add pork and brown on all sides. Mix tamarind paste with stock.
2. Add stock and tamarind peel to the pork. Stir to mix until sauce is fragrant, then add potatoes. Cover and simmer until sauce has thickens. Remove tamarind peel and serve hot with rice and a side vegetable dish.
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Five-Spice Beancurd Rolls/Lobak

I love anything prepared with bean curd and this dish is using the by-product of soybeans. Bean curd skin is a thin film and/or skin on the surface of the cooked bean curd mixture. The thin films are collected and dried on bamboo pole into yellowish sheets known as tofu skin or bean curd skin. This is a traditional dish that can be found in most hawker stalls and open air night markets in Malaysia.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork butt, cut into ½ inch strips
1 package dry bean curd skin, soaked in water to soften
oil for deep frying
Spices:
1 medium red onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. five-spice powder (ng heong fun)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cornflour
salt and pepper to taste
Dipping Sauce:
¾ cup rich meat stock
2 tsp. cornflour
2 tsp. tapioca flour/starch
¼ tsp. five spice powder (ng heong fun)
2 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 large egg white
salt and sugar to taste

Method:
1. Marinate meat strips with spices for at least half a day. Remove beancurd sheets and cut into 5" X 7" and gently pat dry with paper towels.
2. Spread the meat fillings on the beancurd sheet. Wrap into a roll and seal with flour paste (some flour mix with a little water). Do the same with the rest of the meat.
3. In a deep pot, heat enough oil on high. Fry in rolls in small batches until crispy and golden, about 10-15 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
4. In a small saucepan, bring stock to a boil. Mix the flours with a little water into a smooth paste, add to the stock to thicken. Add sugar, five spice powder, soy sauce, sugar and mix into sauce. Simmer over low and cook until sauce has thicken. Adjust seasonings to taste and stir until sauce turns smooth. Add in egg white and stir with a fork to form thin strands. Remove from heat.
5. Cut rolls into slices and serve with dipping sauce.
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Chinese Barbecue Pork/Char Siew

Chinese barbecue pork is an easy dish to prepare and delicious on any occasion. You can either grill it over an open stove or roast it in the oven. Leftovers are perfect stir-fry with rice or noodles, or simply eat it by itself.
Ingredients:
3 lbs pork butt, cut into 1" thick strips
Seasonings:
3 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. five-spice powder
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Chinese wine (Mui Kai Lo, or Shao Xin)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Glaze:
2 Tbsp. maltose or honey
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
Method:
1. Mix seasonings in a bowl into a smooth texture. Washed and dry pork with paper towels. Marinate pork with seasonings, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
2. In a small saucepan, mix the glaze ingredients and stir to dissolve over low heat. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking tray with a layer of aluminium foil. Transfer marinated meat on tray and tent with foil. Place an ovenproof bowl with water on the lower tray in oven. This will keep the pork moist. Bake the meat in the middle shelf for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove top foil and continue baking until the marinade thickens, turn meat occassionaly to coat on all sides. Continue to roast until meat is slightly charred, but not burned for about 1-2 hours. Remove from oven and brush glaze on all sides. Return to over for another 5 minutes. Note: You can cook the pork on an outdoor grill and brush with glaze at the final cooking time to give it a nice glossy glaze.
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Grilled Pork Chops

A chef once told me that the solution to a juicy, moist and tender pork chop is to marinade it with a brining mixture ahead of time. You can use other herbs and spices for added flavor and cook it either baked or grilled. I served mine with sweet potato galettes.

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
¾ cups apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. peppercorn, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
½ cup ice water
Method:
1. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaf, and salt. Heat on low and whisk to dissolve ingredients. Remove from heat and add ice water to cool down the mixture completely. Note: Don't put the meat into hot brine, as it will cook the meat.
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2. Put meat in the mixture, cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours. Remove the meat from the brine and dry with paper towels before cooking it.

Fried Tofu with Meat Sauce

This is a simple and easy dish for an everyday meal if you like tofu. I like to use fresh tofu rather than the pre-packed ones that you find in the Asian supermarkets. Tofu is great for stir-fry, braised or even fresh with seasoned hot oil. To test for freshness, take a sniff and if it smells stale, taste sour, or feels slippery it is bad.
Ingredients:
4 slices of firm white tofu, dry well with paper towel
1 small bunch sweet basil, chopped finely
¼ lbs lean pork, minced or chopped finely
5 dried mushrooms, soaked and chopped in pieces
2 tsp. oyster sauce
2 tsps. cornstarch
1/4 cup stock or water
1 tsp. minced garlic and ginger
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
Method:
1. Heat a saucepan with enough oil on high. Gently add a piece of tofu to the oil and deep fry on both sides till golden brown. Drain well with paper towel. Do the same to the rest of the tofu. Arrange cooked tofu on a plate.
2. Season meat with salt and pepper and some cornstarch. Heat a wok with a little oil, fry mushrooms till fragrant for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic/ginger and mix with the mushrooms, follow by the pork. Cook until meat is no longer pink in color about 10-15 minutes. Mix cornstarch, oyster sauce with stock/water to dissolve and add to the pork mixture. Stir in basil and season to taste. Pour the hot mixture on top of tofu and garnish with basil. Serve hot with rice.
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Stewed Pork with Preserved Beancurd/Hakka Char Yok

Char Yok is a traditional Hakka cuisine that my mother would prepared during the Chinese New Year. I often joked with her that this dish is the major highlight as it brings happy and familiar faces of her extended family members: the Tai's, Cheong's and the Goh's. They would often praise her about it and my mother takes great pride in her cooking.
Hakka Char Yok is belly pork marinated with spices and fried till crispy and then gently braised with preserved red bean curd (nam yu red sauce), wood ears, and pickled mustard. I like to use the pickled mustard from Ipoh-Malaysia, which has a distinctive flavor and is less salty. This post is a tribute to my late mother, who has influenced my cooking with her penchant to perfection--Bon Appétit!
Ingredients:
1 lb. side belly pork (skin removed)
1 oz dried wood ears (soaked in water)
400 gms pickled mustard (ham choy)
1 Tbsp. Chinese wine or brandy
1 piece star anise
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cornflour
2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1¾ cups warm water
6 pieces nam yu
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small piece ginger, minced
Cooking oil
½ cup flour (coating)
Method:
1. Washed and cut pork in 2" pieces, dried with paper towels. In a bowl, mix well the following: Chinese five-spice powder; 2 pieces of nam yu; flour; cornflour; wine; and egg. Add in the pork and marinate meat overnight.

2. Washed and soak pickled mustard to remove any impurities and until water runs clear. Squeezed out excess water and cut into 2" pieces. Remove woody parts from wood ears and cut in 2" pieces. Set aside.

3. Heat enough oil in a deep saucepan on high heat. When oil is hot, coat each piece of meat with flour and shake off excess flour. Gently add to the hot oil to cook. Do not put in too much meat at one time as the meat will not cook properly. Do the same with the rest of the meat. Deep fried meat until golden brown. Drain meat on paper towels.
4. In another pot, add about one tablespoon oil, toss in the wood ears and pickled mustard and stir fry for about 5-10 minutes until the vegetables has absorbed most of the oil. Remove and set aside.

5. In the same pot, add in two tablespoon oil, fry the shallots, garlic, ginger, star anise till fragrant. Add in the rest of the nam yu and rest of the water. Using the back of the ladle, mashed the nam yu till it dissolved. Add in the wood ears, pickled mustard, and rest of the water. Stir in to mix well and let mixture comes to a boil, then simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are soft and tender. Season to taste or add slightly more warm water if you like more gravy).
6. Add in the fried meat, mix and simmer on low for another 30 minutes till the meat has absorbed some of the gravy. Serve hot with rice.
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Pork Meat Balls with Dipping Sauce

This dish is perfect for an informal or a cocktail party. You can substitute the pork with chicken or turkey and use small sweet peppers if you want a milder sauce. 

Ingredients:
1½ lbs lean ground pork
1 egg, beaten
5 stalks Chinese long beans, finely diced
1 small red chili, finely diced
2 tsp. lemon grass powder
1 tsp. galangal powder
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1½ Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)
oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
Chili Dipping Sauce
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1¼ cups vinegar
1 medium size shallot, finely sliced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
pinch of salt
3 red chilies, thinly sliced
Cucumber Relish
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 small cucumber, center removed and sliced finely
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. pineapple, thinly sliced
2 tsp. sesame seeds
pinch of salt
Method:
1. In a mixing bowl add pork, egg, vegetables, spices and sugar and mix till all the ingredients are incorporated to a smooth texture.

2. In separate bowls, mix all the ingredients for the cucumber and chili dipping sauces together. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add a little more vinegar or sugar according to your taste. Cover and chill in refrigerator.

3. Take about 2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into the size of a golf ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture and put the balls on a plate. Chill for about 30 minutes.

4. Fill a deep wok or saucepan one-third full of oil and heat on high or until a piece of bread browns in 30 seconds. (this is a test that my cookery teacher used on us at school). Carefully place the balls and deep fry in small batches over medium heat until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels.
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Pork and Vegetable Soup

Whenever I feel like having a simple soup, this often comes to mind. It reminds me of my mother's famous sour salted mustard greens soup. The sourness of this soup comes from Asam Gelugur (garcinia atnoviridis) or can be easily be substitute with tamarind paste or pickled sour plums.
Ingredients:
¼ lb lean pork, cut in bite-sized
1-2 bunches mustard greens or "sher li hom"
3 pieces of Asam Gelugur
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste (if using)eg
2 pieces star anise
1 can whole tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. brown rice vinegar
Method:
1. Washed greens and cut in 3" lengths. In a pot bring broth, pork, star anise, and tamarind peel to a boil. Remove scum on top of soup. Then add tomatoes and greens.
2. Cover and simmer  for about 20 minutes till greens are cooked and soft. Season to taste with vinegar and salt. Remove tamarind peel and serve. Serve with rice.
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Steamed Pork with Salted Mustard

Sometimes I get this cooking bug and want to rush home to prepare a particular dish that inspires me at that moment. Today is one of those days! The dish that I've been craving for awhile is a dish from my childhood. It is a simple dish of minced belly pork with salted mustard and steamed to perfection. My mother would steamed a big batch of these to last for a week. She would hand minced it with a large cleaver while I washed and sliced the salted mustard. Salted mustard or "Mui Choy" in Cantonese is basically mustard greens picked with salt. There are two types of it, a sweet and other salty. The sweet type is light brown in color while the latter is darker in color. You can purchased them in most Chinese grocery stores. It is especially delicious with rice and the meat juices is great over hot steamed rice--(that's my opinion) :)

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. fresh side belly pork (with more lean meat)

200  gms. salted mustard (get the sweet type)

2 tsp. constarch

2 tsp. oil

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. Chinese rice wine

salt and pepper to taste

Steamer with trays

Deep pan or dish for steaming

Method:

1. Soak the mustard in water for for an hour. Spread open the leaves to remove dirt and sand. Rinse well to remove most of the salt and grime. Cut off some of the hard stems and chop finely. Do this in small batches. Set aside.

2. Wash and remove skin from pork. Slice in 1 inch pieces and using a larger knife, chop it alittle at time till it resembles like ground pork, but slightly thicker. You dont want to use ground pork as the texture will becomes mushy.

3. In a larger bowl, add meat, salted mustard, oil, sugar, wine, and cornstarch to combine to form a smooth ball. Fill a steamer with water, and bring water to a boil. Fill dish with meat halfway and put in steaming tray and cook for about 20-30 minutes till meat is cooked through. Note: It is ready when the meat has reduce in size and and not sticking to the dish.
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Chinese BBQ Pork Ribs

A friend from brought this for a party and it was wonderful. Unlike the traditional western barbeque recipe, this one is quite different in both taste and texture. It is seasoned with Chinese five Spices--which is a combination of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechwan pepper and fennel. You can roast this either in the oven or grill on the stove. I prefer the roasting method as the meat is cook slowly to retain most of its natural juices.

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs baby back rib
2 Tbsp. honey
Sauce A: (for marinate)
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. Chinese five spices
1 tsp. Sar Cheong powder (a type of a ginger)
2 tsp. Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
Sauce B: (for basting)
2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
2 tsp. ground bean paste
1 Tbsp. sesame seed paste
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 pieces of preserved red hot beancurd
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. shallots, minced
Method:
1. Cut ribs in equal size and pat dry. Mix sauce A ingredients to a smooth paste. Season ribs well with this mixture and leave overnight in refrigerator.
2. Mix sauce B and season ribs with half of the sauce at least 4 hours before cooking. This will allow the ribs to absorb most of the seasoning. Cover and refrigerated.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Put ribs on a pan place and roast on the top shelf. Place a metal bowl of water in the bottom shelf. The steam from the water keeps the meat from drying out. Roast for 30-45 minutes till golden brown but not burnt. Baste both sides of the ribs every 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and brush ribs with honey.
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Pork and Gingko Porridge

The Chinese word for rice porridge or congee is "Jook." My son's fiancee asked me for a recipe for jook today. Oh dear, it never cross my mind to post porridge or congee on my blog. I guess it's not really a fancy looking dish as it is really boiled rice with a large volume of liquid. The goodness of the porridge depends on the ingredients you add in to cook. It could be fish, pork, chicken, beef, Chinese herbs and vegetables. You can even have it plain and have it with leftovers. I normally presoaked my rice overnight with salt and oil. This makes the rice to break up easily and the oil gives it a smooth consistency when cooking. I love mine plain with preserved bean curd.
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
a pinch of salt
¼ tsp. oil
¼ tsp. sesame seed oil
½ tsp. cornstarch
1 cup lean pork, sliced thinly
½ cup lean ground pork (optional)
10 gingko nuts (fresh or frozen)
1 box organic chicken broth (32 oz.)
5 pieces of ginger, sliced thinly
spring onions, cilantro, chopped finely for garnishing
2 shallots (optional, for garnishing)
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Wash rice and pre-soak with a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp. of oil. Cover and leave overnight. Season pork with cornstarch. Rinse off water from the rice and add to a deep pot. Add 1/2 the ginger and 8 cups of water/stock for a thicker congee (about 10 cups for a thiner congee)
2. If using fresh gingko nuts--crack shell and peel outer skin and cut in half, removing the green pit in the center. Add this to the pot. Turn heat on high and bring to a boil without the lid for about 15 minutes or until the water has reduce to half and the rice is starting to break open. Cover lid and simmer on low.
3. If you are using shallots--remove skins and slice thinly, toss it with salt and a little water. Heat pan with some oil, drain off excess water and fry till it turns golden brown. Drain on paper towels for later use.
4. Add the meat and turn heat to low to simmer. Stir it occasionally and add more stock or water for a thiner porridge. Season to taste and garnish with spring onions, cilantro and shallots and a few drops of sesame seed oil.
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Roast Pork Florentine with Pomegranate Sauce

 

This is one of my favorite dish to serve on festive holidays. I can prepare it ahead of time and bake it the following day.

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins (trimmed and cut open flat)

salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Kitchen strings
Filling:
3 cups chopped spinach
¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
¼ cup red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
1 cup pomegranate juice
1½ cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp honey
1½ tsps. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. In a skillet, cook garlic in oil until tender, stir in spinach, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes till spinach is wilted and set aside. Place the cut meat flat on a piece of plastic wrap. Using a mallet, pound the pork to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap. Using a spatula, spread the filling evenly on the pork leaving a 1-inch border on all sides; sprinkle cheese on top.
2. Starting at the edge, roll up the roast tightly to completely enclosing the filling. Rub the pork with salt and pepper. Tie the roast at 2 inch intervals with kitchen strings. Place the roast seam-side down on a baking rack. (I've added a bed of kale drizzled with olive oil) Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 155°F.
3. Transfer pork to a clean cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
4. For the sauce, combine the ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Scrape remaining juices from baking pan to pot. Reduce mixture to about 1 cup. Thicken sauce with cornstarch and water, whisking till slightly thickened.
5. Remove string and slice roast into 3/4 inch thick slices. Serve with sauce.
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Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork or "goo lou yok" in Cantonese dialect is a classic dish served in many Chinese restaurants. It is crispy fried pork glazed with a sweet and tangy sauce and bell peppers or pineapple. I find the sauce in the restaurant abit too sweet and too much coloring to my taste--here's my version.
Ingredients:
¾ lbs. pork tenderloin or shoulder pork, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
1½ tsp. light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Oil for deep frying
Sauce:
¼ cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. plum sauce
2 Tbsp. Thai Sweet Chilli sauce, optional
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in some water
Batter:
½ cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 egg white, lightly beaten
½ cup warm water, as needed
Garnishing:
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 medium sized onion, sliced thinly
1 of each red and green pepper, sliced
Method:
1. Marinate meat in soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup, plum sauce, vinegar ingredients together, and season to taste. For a spicy sauce, add the chilli sauce if desired. Set aside.
3. For the batter, mix flour and constarch. Add in the egg white and enough warm water to form a thick batter that is not too dry or too moist. (The batter should not be runny, and should slide off the back of the spoon)
4. Heat enough oil for deep frying. Dip the marinated pork in the batter. Deep fry in small batches until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. In a pan over medium heat, add enough oil and stir fry the onions, carrots, and bell peppers. Add the sauce and bring to fast boil and thicken with the cornstarch mixture, stirring and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, sugar and/or vinegar if desired.
6. Ladle hot sauce over pork and serve with rice.
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Braised Pork in Soy Sauce/Tau Yew Bak

This is a traditional Straits-born (Peranakan) dish that is excellent for both the young and old as it is full of flavor. and easy to digest. "Tau Ewe Bak" is a Hokkien dialect for Soy Sauce Pork. It is pork simmered with a good quality soy sauce with spices and hard boiled eggs. This is also one of my daughter's favorite dish.

Ingredients:

500 gm belly pork or shoulder pork (trim off excess fat, and cut into 2" cubes)

2-3 cups water
3 hard-boiled eggs, shelled (optional)

2 pieces firm bean curd or fried bean curd (optional)

5-6 dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked in water and cut in half
Marinade:

3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
4 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. peppercorn, cracked
4 cloves unpeeled garlic, bruised
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 star anise
1 tsp. cracked peppercorns
1 tsp. salt
Method:
1. In a large pot or clay pot, add  water and bring to a boil. Add the marinade spices and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add pork and simmer for about 30-45 minutes until the water has reduced slightly and has reach a thick consistency. A little more water can be added if you like more gravy.
2. When the pork is tender to touch, add mushrooms, bean curd, eggs and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with steamed rice.
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