Yam Pork Rolls

My family and I love yam. I can easily buy yam during pasar tani days near my house. And most important the yam are very good; they are powdery and soft when cooked. Today I modified my Bak Kian recipe to incorporate yam into it to add a new dimension to the rolls. They are as tasty as the bak kian.

Ingredients:

• 500 g minced pork
• 300 g yam (without skin)
• 50 g finely chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 9-10 bean curd sheets cut to the size of 1/2 of an A4 paper
• A small bowl of water
• Cooking oil for frying

Method:

• Steam and mash yam. The texture depends on whether you would like to bite into the yam or not. I mash them roughly so that I can bite into tiny bits and pieces of them.

• Add minced pork to a large bowl.

• Add all the other ingredients to it and mix till they are well incorporated.

• Apportion these meat fillings into 9 or 10 portions as we do not want any leftover or insufficient fillings at the end. (Nine portions for a thicker roll and ten for a thinner one.)

• Get ready a small bowl of water for sealing the roll.

• Take a piece of the bean curd sheet and put 1 portion of the filling on top of it.

• Bring each shorter sides in.

• Then roll up the bean curd sheet with meat fillings from one end of the longer side to the other.

• Or, you can just roll up the longer side to the other end and just tuck the ends under the roll. (But I think you will get a neater roll with the earlier method.)

• Heat up a pan with cooking oil.

• When the oil is hot, put the rolls side by side.

• When the bottom has turned brown, flip the roll to the other side.

• Once this side has also turned brown, dish it out onto a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak up excess oil.

• Serve.

Pressure-cooked Meaty Pork Bones

 

 

This is the most aromatic dish that has ever been cooked in my kitchen. I have cooked it a few times and it was loved by my children. It is easy to cook; just marinate and pressure-cook. It is very versatile; you can eat it with white rice or with various types of noodles. Here, my children ate it with spinach noodles.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg meaty pork bone
• 6 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tsp 5-spice powder
• 2 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 250 g onions (3 medium size)
• 100 g garlic (1 bulb)
• 1.5 cup water

Method:

• Preparation of pork:
• Wash meaty pork bones.
• Boil a pot of water with 1 tbsp vinegar.
• Blanch meaty pork bones for 5 minutes.
• Remove and dry them.

• Preparation of marinade:
• Into a bowl add:
• light and dark soy sauces
• sesame oil
• Chinese cooking wine
• 5-spice powder
• pepper
• honey
• salt
• Mix all together.

• Peel and cut the onions whichever way you like.

• Peel and slightly smash the garlic.

• Add the meaty pork bones, marinade, cinnamon stick, onion, garlic and water into a big mixing bowl. Stir well.

• Cover the bowl and let the meaty pork bones sit for 1 hour.

• Transfer all the ingredients to a pressure cooker.

• Cook for 15 minutes.

• Serve with white rice or noodles.

Bak Kian

 

   

   

Bak kian is also known as ngoh hiang and lor bak. In English it is simply fried meat rolls. The main ingredient is minced pork. The other ingredients that go into these meat rolls are varied; fish or prawn paste can be added to the minced pork. As for the vegetables, you can add carrots, jicama or water chestnut. Minced onions, shallots and garlic are a must when making the meat rolls. To make them more tasty, you can add coriander and green onions. So it all depends on how simple or elaborate you want your meat rolls to be.  And these are then rolled up in bean curd sheets and fried. They are best served with sliced cucumbers or lettuces. They can be eaten with chili or tomato sauces although I think that it is not necessary as the rolls are savoury enough.

Ingredients:

• 500 g minced pork
• 80 g finely chopped carrot
• 70 g finely chopped onions
• 50 g finely chopped shallots
• 45 g finely chopped coriander, optional
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp 5-spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 9-10 bean curd sheets cut to the size of 1/2 of an A4 paper
• A small bowl of water
• Cooking oil

Method:

• Add minced pork to a large bowl.

• Add all the other ingredients to it and mix till they are well incorporated.

• Apportion these meat fillings into 9 or 10 portions as we do not want any leftover or insufficient fillings at the end. (Nine portions for a thicker roll and ten for a thinner one.)

• Get ready a small bowl of water for sealing the roll.

• Take a piece of the bean curd sheet and put 1 portion of the filling on top of it.

• Bring each shorter side in.

• Then roll up the bean curd sheet with meat fillings from one end of the longer side to the other.

• Or, you can just roll up the longer side to the other end and just tuck the ends under the roll. (But I think you will get a neater roll with the earlier method.

• Heat up a pan with cooking oil.

• When the oil is hot, put is the rolls side by side.

• When the bottom has turned brown, flip the roll to the other side.

• Once this side has also turned brown, dish it out onto a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak up excess oil.

• Serve.

Minced Pork over Steamed Egg and Tofu

 

We have steamed egg and steamed tofu. We also have braised minced pork. Why not combine them together to create a new dish. I am sure your family members will love this dish; mine do. The steps are simple and the whole process does not take long. The ingredients are easily available.

Ingredients:

For steamed egg:

• 2 eggs
• water, equivalent to the same amount of the eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp pepper, or more
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 piece of tofu (can use 1 piece if you love tofu)

For the minced meat

• 150 g minced pork
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce, or more for a darker braise 
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup water

Method:

• Prepare a steamer of boiling water.

• Crack 2 eggs into a bowl.

• Add the equivalent amount of water to the eggs.

• Add salt, light soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil.

• Beat the eggs till all the ingredients are incorporated.

• Cube the tofu and add them into the eggs.

• Steam the eggs for 15 minutes or till they are cooked.

• Add oil to a pot.

• Add chopped the garlic to the pot and saute them till they are fragrant.

• Add the minced pork and fry them.

• Add dark and light soy sauces, salt and pepper.

• Add water.

• Braise the pork till they are cooked and the sauce has been reduced by a fair bit.

• Remove the steamed egg from the steamer.

• Scoop the braised minced meat on top of the steamed egg.

• Serve.

Pork Chop in Brown Sauce

 

Pork Chop accompanied by soup and/or salad is a good option if you are thinking of a Western meal for lunch or dinner. However, the meat cut is important for a good meal; I usually choose fillet to make my Pork Chop. Just season it and coat with flour before frying it. After that top it with brown mushroom sauce and you have a delicious dish to satisfy your palate.

Ingredients:

• 250 g pork (I used fillet), sliced into 3 pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• Cooking oil

• 1 dollop of butter
• 6 big pieces of white button mushrooms, sliced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 75 ml double cream
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder, white or black

Method:

• Marinade pork with salt and pepper for at least half an hour.

• Mix rice flour and all purpose flour in a plate.

• Heat up a pan with some cooking oil.

• Coat the pork slices with the flours. Shake off any excess flours.

• Pan fry them in the pan till they are brown and cooked.

• Remove and set them aside.

• Add a dollop of butter into the same pan (there should be no more oil left).

• Saute minced garlic and onions till they are cooked and brown.

• Add the button mushroom slices to the pan. Fry them till they are cooked (browned and reduced in volume.

• Add the double cream to the pan.

• Add dark soy sauce, salt and pepper.

• The sauce is ready once it has boiled.

• Pour it over the cooked pork slices.

• Serve with bread, soup and salad.

Pan-fried Meatballs with Cabbage, Carrot and Mushroom

We can make meatballs in different variations, some plain while others with added ingredients like mash potatoes, mushroom, cabbage, carrot and others. All these ingredients will change the flavour and taste of the meatballs. No matter what we add to the minced meat, the meatballs will end up delicious. Here, for the first time, I tried adding mushrooms, cabbage and carrots and the meatballs were simply delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 pc Shiitake mushroom
• 100 g minced pork
• 50 g carrots
• 50 g cabbage
• 50 g onions
• 1 stalk green onion
• 1 stalk coriander (may add more for a more distinct taste)
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Cooking oil

Method:

• Soak Shiitake mushroom. When it has softened, dice it finely.

• Dice onions, carrot and cabbage.

• Cut green onions into small pieces and chop coriander finely.

• Heat up pan with some oil.

• When it has been heated up, add mushroom and saute them till fragrant.

• Add carrots, cabbage and onion and fry till they are soft and cooked. Let them cool down.

• Add the carrots, cabbage, onion, green onion and coriander to the minced pork.

• Add flour.

• Season with light soy sauce, pepper and salt.

• Mix them up well.

• Heat a pan with some oil.

• Spoon the mixture onto your palm and shape it into a ball. Then flatten the ball.

• Place the flattened ball onto the pan.

• Pan fry them till both sides are golden brown.

• Remove and serve.

Steamed Spare Ribs in Spicy Beanpaste Sauce

Sweet, salty and spicy, this savory dish can really whet one's appetite. The quality of the spare ribs is important. Buy those that are meaty and soft. Your regular supplier should be able to pick them for you. Always blanch your ribs before you start cooking them.


Ingredients:

• 700 g spare ribs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 2-inch ginger, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp minced bean paste
• 1 pc of chili padi, minced
• 1/4 cup water
• 2-3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Marinate spare ribs with salt and black pepper powder for 30 minutes.

• Prepare a steamer of boiling water.

• Slice sliced ginger on a metal plate.

• Arrange the spare ribs on top of the ginger slices.

• Steam the spare ribs till cooked.

• Remove metal plate of spare ribs and set it aside.

• Heat up a pan with cooking oil.

• Saute the garlic till fragrant.

• Add the minced bean paste and minced chili to the garlic. Stir till fragrant.

• Add the sauce from the steamed spare ribs to the pan of garlic-minced bean paste-minced chili. Let the sauce boil.

• Add the spare ribs to the sauce.

• Give the spare ribs a quick stir and dish out onto a serving plate.

• Serve.

Steamed Old Cucumber Stuffed with Minced Pork

    

Old cucumbers, also known as old yellow gourd or Lou Wong Kua, are cucumbers which have been left on the vine to harden and mature. According to Specialty Produce, they are excellent source of fiber to stimulate the digestive tract and are a source of iron to build the protein hemoglobin to transport oxygen through the bloodstream. The cucumbers also contain calcium to strengthen bones and teeth, vitamins A and C to reduce inflammation and boost collagen production, and vitamin B6 to ensure a healthy metabolism and central nervous system. In China, Old cucumbers are believed to contain anti-aging properties and are consumed to improve skin complexion.

We usually cook soup with the old cucumbers with pork bones, red dates and dry squids. However, it seems that they can also be braised, stir fried and pickled.  One day I ran out of ideas on what to cook for my family and looking at what I have in my fridge I decided to try steaming the old cucumber that I was gifted with minced pork. The dish turned out to be very flavourful.

Ingredients:

• 1 small pc old cucumber
• 100 g minced meat
• 1 pc Shiitake mushroom
• 1 pc 2-inch carrot
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp corn flour/tapioca flour
• Cooking oil
• 1 stalk green onions

Method:

• Clean the old cucumber and slice it into 1-cm rings. Use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds. Arrange the slices onto a steaming plate.

• Soak the Shiitake mushroom till soft. Mince it and set aside.

• Remove skin of carrot and mince it. Set aside.

• Chop garlic and saute them till fragrant and golden brown. Set aside.

• Wash and cut the spring onions into 1/2-cm pieces. Set aside.

• Add the minced pork into a mixing bowl.

• Add the Shiitake mushroom and carrot to the bowl.

• Add the seasonings - light soy sauce, salt, pepper and sesame oil.

• Add corn flour.

• Mix the minced meat with all the ingredients till they are well-combined.

• Stuff the old cucumber rings with the minced meat mixture. Pack the meat tightly.

• Boil water in a steamer.

• When the water is boiling, put the plate of stuffed old cucumber to the steamer.

• Steam for 20 minutes or till the old cucumber slices are soft and the meat is cooked.

• Top the the steamed old cucumber slices with sauteed garlic.

• Sprinkle the green onions on top before serving.

A Simple Stir Fry of Mustard Green, Long Cabbage and Carrots

 

Cooking for our family need not be a tedious affair. We can simply stir fry vegetables with either garlic alone, chicken, pork, beef, seafood or bean curd and turn them delicious dishes. I like to fry sawi with just garlic and Chinese cooking wine. For kailan, I stir fry it with prawns, squids and pork slices. I stir fry chives with cubed taukwa, long beans with preserved radish, broccoli and caulifower with prawns and Shiitake mushrooms. The list goes on.

Yesterday I stir fried green mustard, long cabbage and carrots with Shiitake mushrooms, egg tofu and pork slices and it turned out to be a colourful and yummy dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 long cabbage leaf, washed and cut.
• 1 small mustard green leaf, washed and cut.
• 2-inch carrot, sliced thinly.
• 1 Shiitake mushroom, soaked overnight & sliced
• 50 g pork slices
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 inch ginger, sliced
• 1 cylindrical egg tofu
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• Cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/8 cup water
• Corn flour/tapioca flour/potato flour for coating

Method:

• Heat up a wok with cooking oil. Cut tofu into 1-cm slice. Coat the slices with one of the flours. Fry them till golden brown. Remove them and set aside.\

• Remove cooking oil from wok and add sesame oil.

• Add ginger slices. Fry till fragrant.

• Add chopped garlic. Fry till fragrant.

• Add Shiitake mushrooms and sliced pork. Fry till the mushrooms are fragrant and the pork slices are almost cooked.

• Add carrots, long cabbage and mustard green and fry till they are cooked.

• Add water to the vegetables if they are too dry.

• Add fried egg tofu.

• Add seasonings of salt and light soy sauce.

• Add some water to the remaining flour that was used to coat the egg tofu. Add it to the wok to thicken the sauce. Once the sauce boiled, the dish is done.

• Dish up to serve.

Dong Po Rou

Dong Po Rou is pork belly cooked in light and dark soy sauces, Chinese cooking wine, spring onion, ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, brown sugar and water. I seldom use cinnamon stick and star anise in my day-to-day cooking except when I am cooking curry. However, when I use them to cook the pork belly, these ingredients plus the Chinese cooking wine give out a very distinctive sweet aroma 

Ingredients:

• 450 g pork belly
• 50 g spring onion
• 2 inches of ginger, sliced
• 1 piece of 5 inch long cinnamon stick
• 2 small pieces of star anise
• 30 g brown sugar
• 150 g light soy sauce
• 100 g Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing Huatiao Chiew)
• 15-20 g dark soy sauce (Dish will be bitter if more is added.)
• Water, approx 500 g

Method:

• Use a knife to scrape the skin of the pork belly to remove any impurities.

• Remove any hair from the skin of the pork belly. Wash the pork belly.

• Boil a pot of water. When the water has boiled, put the pork belly into the pot skin side down.

• Lower the heat and blanch the pork for about 10 minutes.

• Remove any scum that floats up to the surface.

• Once the time is up, remove the pork belly and rinse it under running water.

• Cut the pork into cubes of at least 2 inches by 2 inches.

• Tie the cubes with butcher's string. This is to prevent the pork belly from falling apart as it will be cooked till very soft (melt in the mouth). Set aside.

• Prepare a pot to cook the pork belly.

• Cut the spring onions into 6-inch length.

• Line the spring onions on the bottom of the pot. This is to prevent the skin of the pork belly from sticking to the pot.

• Next add the ginger slices to the pot.

• Arrange the pork belly on top of the spring onion skin side down.

• Add brown sugar to the pot.

• Add cinnamon sticks and star anise to the pot.

• Add Chinese cooking wine (Shiaoxing Huatiao Chiew) to the pot.

• Add light soy sauce to the pot.

• Add dark soy sauce.

• Add water, enough to cover the pork belly.

• Cover the pot and cook the pork belly over low-medium heat for at least 20 hours. Check every now and then to ensure that the pot does not dry up. Add water if required.

• When the melt-in-the-mouth texture is achieved (approx. 2 hours), reduce the sauce in the pot till about 1 inch is left.

• Remove the pork belly from the pot and remove the butcher's string.

• Gently arrange the pork belly on a serving dish with some sauce on it.

• Serve with rice.

Fried Udon with Minced Meat

 

     

 

I fell in love with the Udon as they are smooth and chewy. While I fried it with prawns and fish balls the last round, this round I fried it with minced meat and added long cabbage, carrot, Shiitake mushrooms and woodear. And, I also fried a bigger portion so that everyone could eat to their hearts' delight. It is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 400 g udon
• 4 long cabbage leaves
• 1 small carrot
• 2 pieces Shiitake mushroom
• 150 g minced meat
• 4 pieces of woodear
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1 cup water

Method:

• Wash and cut long cabbage leaves into thin strips, width-wise.

• Grate the carrot into long strips

• Soak Shiitake mushroom till soft. Then, slice them up.

• Soak the woodear and cut them up into long strips.

• Heat up sesame and cooking oil in a kuali.
• Add Shiitake mushroom slices to the kuali. Fry them till they are fragrant.
• Add chopped garlic and fry them till they are fragrant.
• Add minced meat and fry till it is half-cooked.
• Add long cabbage, carrot and the wood ear to the kuali.
• Fry till the long cabbage and carrot are soft. (Minced meat should be cooked by now.)
• Add water to the kuali.
• Season with light and dark soy sauces, salt and pepper..
• Let the sauce simmer for about 5-7 minutes.

• At the same time boil a pot of water using the other burner.
• When the water is boiling, add udon to the pot.
• Gently use a fork to loosen the udon.
• Once they have loosened, pour them immediately into a colander to drain off the water.

•  Add udon to the kuali and fry it for a short while.

• Ladle the udon onto a plate and serve hot.

• You can serve it with a topping of chili padi, fried shallots, fried onions or scallions.

Deep-fried Pork Belly (Roast Pork Marinade)

 

Delicious; deep-fried pork belly is as delicious as roast pork belly (having been marinated with the same ingredients; it is also as crunchy as roast pork. Deep-fried pork belly is easier to make as compared to roast pork belly.

Ingredients:

For marinating:

• 350 g pork belly
• 2 pcs preserved red bean curd and 2 tsp of the bean curd sauce.
• 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp 5 spices powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

For coating

• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 4 tbsp potato flour or rice flour (Potato flour gives the pork belly a better crunch.)
• Water, enough to make a slightly running paste

Instructions:

• The marinade. Mix the preserved red bean curd, white pepper powder, 5 spices powder, salt, sesame oil, Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew and oyster sauce into a bowl. Mix them up well and set aside.

• Remove the skin of the pork belly, wash and cubed it.

• Add the pork belly pieces to the marinade. Stir till all the pieces are coated with the marinade.

• Let the pork belly sit in the refrigerator overnight.

• Mix the flour and water in a bowl into a batter.

• Heat up a kuali with cooking oil.

• When the oil is hot, dip the marinated pork into the batter and add to the kuali, piece by piece.

• Deep fry each piece till they are golden brown.

• Dish the ready ones onto a plate with lined with kitchen towel.

• Transfer them to a serving plate.

Steamed Pork with Egg and Tofu

         

         

A very common dish in most households is steamed minced pork on tofu. We just spread minced pork (which had been seasoned with salt and pepper) on top of a large piece of tofu, steam them and sprinkle fried shallots, green onions and cut chilies on them. Alternatively, if we were to use the cylindrical tofu, we will just slice the tofu cross-wise into many pieces, spread the minced pork on top of each of them, steam them and sprinkle fried shallots, green onions and cut chilies on them. However, using the same ingredients and adding an egg and rearranging the main ingredients, we can create a new dish. It also look more appetising than the normal minced pork on tofu.

Ingredients:

• 250 g minced pork
• 2 tubes of tofu (either egg or white tofu). You may also use the square tofu.
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp corn flour, to bind the pork
• Optional for decoration
• fried shallots
• fried garlic
• green onion
• cut chilies

Method:

• Boil water in a steamer.

• Add salt, pepper, light soy sauce, sesame oil and corn flour to the minced pork. Combine them well.

• Pack the minced pork into a bowl.

• Turn the bowl over onto a heat proof serving plate to release the minced pork onto the plate.

• Using your fingers, gently create a hole in the centre of the pork.

• Break an egg into the hole.

• Cut the tofu and arrange them around the minced pork.

• Steam at high heat for 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked.

• Remove the plate from the steamer when the pork is cooked.

• There will be some water on the plate. Gently tilt the plate to throw away the water.

• You may serve it as it is, or, sprinkle some green onions and cut chilies on the minced pork, or, saute some shallots or garlic and sprinkle them on the minced pork.