Supreme Pork Chop

supreme pork chop, originally uploaded by pearlyn83.When I was a kid, my parents used to bring me to Esquire Kitchen for dinner. I loved their pork chop noodles there. This recipe, once again, is from my Hawkers’ Fair Simplified book. Sweet and sour in taste, it was perfect with rice.Ingredients:

• Pork fillets
• Oyster sauce
• Sugar
• Salt
• Sesame oil
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200 ml water
• Corn flour

Sauce:

• Tomato sauce
• Chilli sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Curry powder
• Sugar
• Salt
• Soy sauce
• Water

Method:

• Use the blunt edged side of the cleaver and pound the pork chops till tender and approximately 5-10 mm thick. Add in all the marinade except for the corn flour and season for a few hours or overnight.
• Take the pork fillets out from the fridge and mix well with corn flour.
• Heat oil for deep frying. Deep fry till golden brown. Dish and drain on paper towel.
• Mix sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Bring to slight simmer in a wok. Add in pork fillets and mix well. Dish up and serve.

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Siew Yuk (Roast Pork)

siu yuk(roast pork), originally uploaded by pearlyn83.

Another of my favourite (and I think of many other people’s as well!) is siew yuk (roast pork). My mum used to get them from the morning market and before lunch or dinner, half of it would’ve gone down my tummy! I love it served just the way it is – salty and chewy with crispy skin. When we have this with rice only, I serve it with a side sauce just for a bit of gravy. I’m still trying to find the best way to make the skin. Mine is always burnt as I leave it under the griller for a while. If I don’t, the skin’s not crispy enough. Does anyone want to share the secret of making the skin? :p

Ingredients:

• Pork belly
• Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing jiu)
• Salt
• Black vinegar
• Lemon juice

Sauce:

• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Pepper
• Garlic, minced
• Sesame oil
• Chicken stock

Method:

• Wash and drain pork belly. Season with wine and salt overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200C. Bake meat 20 minutes on each side.
• When meat is cook, remove from the oven and leave it to stand for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the griller. Slice pork into think slices. Wrap it with aluminium foil, leaving only the skin exposed. Mix black vinegar and lemon juice. Brush pork skin with vinegar mixture. Place under the griller till skin is brown and crispy.
• Mix ingredients for sauce in a bowl. Serve with dipping sauce and rice or just as it is.

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Cha Siu (BBQ Pork)

 

BBQ Pork or more commonly known as cha siu is a favourite with most people. Cha siu is so versatile and can be eaten with rice, noodles and bread! There are many different versions one can get – there are the sweet ones in the bao (steamed buns), the savourish ones eg those in wantan mee or wrapped in cheong fun (rice sheets), the ones serve with rice drenched in sweet sauce and served with chilli sauce etc etc. In Aus, I’ve seen it served just as it is – sliced thinly and served with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil; the Japanese have theirs boiled; so you see, it’s a really versatile dish.

I first started to make my own cha siu a couple of years ago. The process used to be long and tedious and the cleaning up after that was horrendous. Since then, I’ve modified my recipe over and over again till I finally reach what it is today. Mine are not the savoury ones you get with wantan mee. It’s the sweetish ones use for baos and for cha siu rice. Just modify the sweetness according to your liking. A lot of the commercially sold ones have been dyed red to make it more attractive. But I don’t dye mine, I like it grilled with the sauce sticking to it. Yum!

Ingredients:

• Pork belly
• Hoisin sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Soy sauce
• Sugar, lots of it
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing jiu)

Method:

• Mix seasoning together in a bowl. Adjust the taste according to your liking.
• Wash and drain pork belly. Place in a big container or mixing bowl. Pour sauce over it and season overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Place meat on tray. Bake in oven.
• Occasionally, bask the meat with the sauce. After approximately 20 minutes, turn meat over and bask with more sauce. Bake for a for a further 20-30 minutes.
• Preheat a grill. Pierce meat with a fork and if the meat is cook, remove from the oven. Allow it to stand for 10 minutes. Then slice meat thinly.
• Coat the meat with leftover sauce. Place under the griller and grill till sauce thickens and sticks to the meat. Turn meat over and repeat the same step.

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