This is a very traditional home-cooked meal in any Indonesian Chinese family. Known as “Bak Kecap” – literally translation of “pork with soy”, the dish is sometimes served as one dish meal, with the usual pairing of steamed rice.

We literally grew up with this. Sweet and full of carbohydrates. Though the ingredients may seem basic and almost too simple, it has never failed to be an all-time favourite amongst the youngsters in the family. Therein lies the secret to many home-cooked dishes – using simple ingredients for a quick satisfying meal. The meat is marinated for a short time before braised. The cornstarch / tapioca flour is used to improve the texture of the dish and the potatoes are pan-fried to add an extra crunch to it.

This is the recipe for Soft Pork Cubes with Soy Sauce and Potatoes

Ingredients

• 250 gramme pork cutlet, cut into small bite sizes
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch / tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge’s Mushroom Flavored Sauce recommended)
• 3 medium sized potatoes (500 grammes), quartered and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ cup water

Method

Marinade the pork with salt, sugar, pepper, cornstarch and soy sauce for 10 – 15 min.

Heat a little bit of oil on a non-stick pan and brown the potato slices. Pat dry with kitchen towel and set aside.

Heat oil in a cooking wok, medium heat. Stir fry garlic till fragrant for about 2 minutes. Toss in the marinated pork. Cook for 5 minutes.

The wok will be sticky as the sugar caramelized. Add water. Stir in the fried potatoes and mix well. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve warm with steamed rice.

Growing up in a family heavily influenced by Chinese culture with spoonfuls of Indonesian flavorings, gastronomic experience has been a joyful ride for our Guest Chef Jun.

Experimenting heavily with online recipes and bits and pieces of culinary wisdom from all over the place, Jun became aware of the fact that Cooking is a form of art. No two people can cook up a same dish, even when using the same utensils and same ingredients and same recipes. But practice do make perfect. Read and be mesmerised by her daring cooking adventures at her IndoChineKitchen for an unforgettable visual feast!

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Soft Pork Cubes with Soy Sauce and Potatoes

This dish is easy to cook but a nightmare to think out a name for it. For starters, it is not exactly fried. Neither is it stir-fried, steamed, braised, stewed or poached. I would put it as a combination of a quick and light stir-fry mixed with quick stewing for a quick and delicious meal. Now, it is quite common in chinese homes to have seaweed soup which comes with minced pork. But it is altogether another thing to have it cook this way that I am sharing with you. Whereas seaweed soup may be bland to some, this dish is tasty to the core hence, the name Seaweed Delight.

Mum first learnt this dish from 1st aunt and thereafter, taught me how to cook this dish. It has now become my preferred dish if I were to cook seaweed at home. The basic ingredients are no different from cooking seaweed soup but the cooking method and seasoning is slightly different. As you read the recipe, you will know why. Anyway, this dish has always made its presence on the dinner table only to vanish in every meal session. So, resist trying it at your peril.

This is my 1st aunt’s recipe for Seaweed Delight.

Ingredients

• 1/2 piece of seaweed (it comes in dried form and round shaped)
• 150 grammes minced pork
• 2 cloves garlic (minced and chopped into the minced pork evenly)
• 300 ml hot water
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (peanut or palm)
• spring onions (chopped)

Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• Salt to taste
• a few dashes of white pepper powder

Method

Soak seaweed in a bowl of water to soften it. Rinse seaweed of impurities eg. sand. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in wok and stir fry the minced pork until pork becomes cooked. Add water followed by seaweed. Bring to boil and add seasoning. Allow sauce to reduce and sprinkle spring onions evenly prior to serving.

Can be served with steamed white rice or plain rice porridge.

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Seaweed Delight

I love pork ribs, especially when they are fried or roasted. One of my favourite style of pork ribs would be Champagne Pork Ribs, a well-known chinese-styled pork ribs with a hint of cooking wine used in the marinating process. I googled around the net for a recipe for champagne pork ribs but could not find one which would satisfy me. In the end, I decided to create my own marinate with absolutely no reference to champagne pork ribs.

I chose baby back ribs for this recipe due to the tenderness of the meat around the ribs. According to Wiki, “Baby back ribs, sometimes called loin ribs or simply back ribs, are taken from the top of the rib cage between the spine and the spareribs, below the loin muscle. They have meat between the bones and are shorter but meatier than spareribs. The rack is shorter at one end, due to the natural tapering of a pig’s rib cage.” You will see the whitish soft bone part on one end of the rib.

I gave the ribs a good 6 hours of marinating with a mix of sauces and it turned out well after frying. You can also roast the ribs if you have an oven by basting it regularly with the marinate. It turned out great, and definitely tasty and my two kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Give this recipe a try as it is simple and fuss free.

This is my recipe for Tasty Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 300 grammes baby back ribs
• 2 tablespoons of corn flour
• 300 ml Oil for frying

Marinate

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon chinese cooking wine
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• liberal dashes of white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon of corn flour

Method

Marinade baby back ribs for at least 6 hours.

Heat oil in wok. Whilst oil is heating up, pour the 2 tablespoons of corn flour over the baby back ribs and coat evenly.

Fry baby back ribs in medium heat until thoroughly cooked inside (the meat will turn pale white).

Serve hot.

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Tasty Fried Baby Back Ribs

If you are looking for an easy yet tasty recipe, Pork Strips with Capsicum in Hoisin Sauce may just be right for you (provided you eat pork, of course). To be honest, though I have heard much about Hoisin Sauce since I was young when I was exposed to the cook show Wok with Yan, I did not venture into cooking with this sauce until I tasted my mother-in-law’s Pork Leg Hoisin Stew. It seems that pork tastes good when paired with Hoisin Sauce.

So, my recent venture was to stir fry pork strips with capsicum and carrots with hoisin Sauce and what a satisfaction this dish gave me. The subtly sweet and crunchy capsicum and carrots gave this dish a mix in  the different texture and taste.  The use of onions also helped to give this dish a nice pungent hint, though not overpowering. So simple is this dish that preparation and cooking time took only about 30 minutes with a bulk of it into marinating the pork. Give this dish a try if you want something tasty to go with your rice or plain noodles / pasta.

This is my recipe for Pork Strips with Capsicum in Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients

• 200 grammes pork tenderloin (sliced into strips across the grain)
• 1/2 a capsicum (julienned)
• 1/2 medium carrot (julienned)
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 2 cloves garlic (smashed / chopped)
• 200 ml warm water
• some cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons oil

Marinade

• 1 teaspoon light soya sauce
• a couple of dashes of white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon corn flour

Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• a couple of dashes of black pepper powder

Method

Marinade pork for about 15 minutes or more.

Heat oil in wok and saute onion until beginning to turn translucent. Add pork and garlic. Stir well. Add capsicum and carrots and continue to stir whilst sprinkling some warm water to keep it moist.

After stir frying for 1 minute and pork appears cooked on surface, add remainder of water and seasoning. Cover wok with lid and allow ingredients to cook for another 2 minutes or so.

Thicken gravy with cornstarch. If gravy is already thick, use a little diluted cornstarch instead (to smoothen the gravy).

Dish up and serve hot.

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Pork Strips with Capsicum in Hoisin Sauce

I still had some General Tso’s Glaze Sauce in my fridge and last weekend was another culinary experimental journey for me. I went to the market in the morning with the aim of cooking a simple lunch of chicken porridge followed by dinner comprising stir-fried spinach with garlic and a meat dish. I duly settled for pork ribs. As I intended to take a nap in the afternoon, I decided that I was going to just marinate the pork ribs and place it into the crock pot (some call it a slow cooker) and allow it to cook whilst I proceed to dreamland. This dish is simple and fuss free just like most of the other recipes on this site.

However, I do understand that General Tso’s Glaze Sauce might not be available worldwide, even in Malaysia. A thoughtful reader of this site, Reese, bought me a bottle all the way from Boston! Based on the sample recipe found on the label of the sauce, roasted pork ribs which were marinated in the sauce is supposed to be good and I believe it should be. I don’t have an oven with me and I decided that slow cooking would also be suitable.

I asked the butcher for meaty and tender parts of the pork ribs. That was the description I gave to the butcher. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it is called in English. Perhaps spare ribs? Anyway, I complimented the pork ribs with baby corns (I simply love their natural sweetness) and chunks of plump carrots and finally added a handful of chinese celery to give it a slightly herbal taste. Perfect! I had two big helpings of steamed white rice and ended up very pleased with what I cooked. If you can get hold of General Tso’s Glaze Sauce, try this recipe. It’s a no-brainer!

This is my recipe for General Tso’s Pork Ribs in Crock Pot

Ingredients

• 150 grammes pork ribs (chopped into 4 to 5cm lengths)
• 5 to 8 pieces baby corn (sliced lengthwise)
• 1 medium sized carrot (cut into medium chunks)
• A handful of chopped chinese celery (optional)

Marinate

• 3 tablespoons General Tso’s Glazing Sauce
• a pinch of salt

Method

Wash pork ribs and pat dry. Place in suitable container and marinade for 2 to 3 hours.

Lay baby corn and carrots on bottom of crock pot. Place pork ribs on top of baby corn and carrots. Pour remaining marinade over the pork ribs. Cover lid and cook on high for 3 hours.

After cooking, place pork ribs, baby corn and carrots on serving plate and sprinkle chopped chinese celery (optional) over them. If you find that the gravy is too watery to your liking, reduce and thicken it separately in a sauce pan by adding a little corn starch. Pour gravy over the pork ribs.

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General Tso’s Pork Ribs in Crock Pot

I had a small quarter of pumpkin the other day and we all know how sweet pumpkins are. But I was bored of stir-frying pumpkin with dried prawns and needed a change. After rummaging through my kitchen cabinet, I found a can of luncheon meat and I thought “why not?”. The sweetness from the pumpkin would complement the slightly saltish luncheon meat and that could be a good combo. So, what I did was to cut both ingredients into equal sized cubes and stir-fried them to make this pumpkin and luncheon meat combo. It turned out quite alright

For this recipe, I cut the pumpkin and luncheon meat into cubes. You can cut them into slivers if you prefer it that way. Somehow, I could not resist the use of dried prawns to give it a slight seafood bite. If you are unable to get hold of dried prawns, I would recommend just omitting it altogether. Do take care with the seasoning as the taste depends on how sweet your pumpkin is and how salty your brand of luncheon meat is. So, use salt judiciously. Otherwise you will have to take extra helpings of steamed white rice and a double dose of water to flush them out

This is my recipe for Pumpkin and Luncheon Meat Combo

Ingredients

• 100 grammes pumpkin (cubed)
• 100 grammes luncheon meat (cubed)
• 1 tablespoonful of dried prawns (rinsed and pre-soaked for 30 minutes in 150 ml water. Keep water)
• 4 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
• 4 shallots (sliced finely)
• 5 tablespoons cooking oil

Seasoning

• Salt / Light soya sauce and white pepper powder to taste

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok and fry luncheon meat till golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons oil into wok and fry shallots till golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Add garlic and pre-soaked dried prawns into wok and fry till aromatic and until garlic becomes golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons oil into wok and fry pumpkin for 1 minute. Then add water previously used to soak dried prawns. Cover with lid and allow water to dry up. Uncover lid, stir well and add more water up to half the height of pumpkin. Repeat covered cooking process till pumpkin slightly soft. Then add fried luncheon meat, fried dried prawns, fried garlic and water. Add seasoning to taste.

Stir until water slightly evaporated and pumpkin has been cooked to your desired softness.

Remove from wok and garnish with fried shallots.

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Pumpkin and Luncheon Meat Combo

I once ate something similar from a chinese take-away and decided to give it a try. The Napa Cabbage used in this dish is also known as Chinese White Cabbage (大白菜) or similar to Kimchi. It is longish and sweet in taste and widely used in East Asia. Though I usually stir fry this dish or use them in soups, this is my first attempt at steaming them after rolling them up like popiah.

There are 3 main steps to this dish. Preparing the stuffing, softening the cabbage and steaming the cabbage rolls. This recipe makes about 10 to 12 rolls with each roll using a single napa cabbage leaf. Actually, the stuffing can be left to your creativity. I used pork and prawns here. You can use fish paste, chicken meat or even beef or lamb mince depending on the seasoning applied.

The result was good and I was happy with how it turned out. The stuffing was nice and firm (and does not crumble) whilst the napa cabbage leafs were not overcooked and retained a slight resistance when bitten. Rather healthy dish, I must say. Tasted great with steaming white rice and a favourite with the kids. I should cook this for Chinese New Year Eve Dinner

This is my recipe for Napa Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 150 grammes pork mince
• 150 grammes prawns (deveined, shelled and chopped roughly)
• 5 pieces chinese dried mushrooms (pre-soaked till soft and chopped)
• 12 pieces Napa Cabbage leafs

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• a few dashes of white pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon light soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornflour

Method

Place steaming rack on steamer and steam napa cabbage leafs one by one till limp and soft enough to roll. Set steamed leafs aside to cool.

Place pork, prawns and mushrooms with marinade in a large mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients in a one-way movement (eg. clockwise or anti-clockwise) till even. Leave mixture to stand for at least 30 minutes.

Place a single napa cabbage leaf on a large plate / table with pointed leaf away from you. Take 2 tablespoons of mixture and place on the stem end and form into a sausage-like roll. Fold stem end over the mixture, fold both sides and roll over till the pointed leaf edge. Repeat with the rest of the leafs and mixture till complete.

Arrange rolls on a plate and steam for 10 minutes. To test whether completely cooked, pierce with a chopstick. If the chopstick comes out clean, it’s cooked.

Remove steamed rolls and place on a plate (you can slice them if you want). With the remainder of the gravy on the steaming plate, pour it into a saucepan and reduce it into a thicker gravy using a little cornstarch if necessary.

Serve hot by pouring over with gravy.

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Napa Cabbage Rolls

If you are looking for a delicious pork recipe which tastes sweet and hot, Chilli Pork might just be what you are looking for. Using dried chillis for a fiery taste and dark soya sauce, this dish is guaranteed to whet your appetite and make you ask for second helpings of rice. Best of all, it is a simple dish to cook and can be attempted by a beginner.

I use pork belly for this recipe due to the texture of this part of the meat. Containing layers of fat and meat, each bite will give you a nice blend of slightly chewy meat in contrast with the smooth fat. No, it is not that healthy to be consuming this dish but once a fortnight or month should be fine. LOL! Again, just like the other recipes on this site, you don’t have to follow all the measurements of ingredients to the dot. If you like it more spicy, add more dried chillis or vice versa. Most of all, cook this and be blown away by its tastiness! Highly recommended!

This is my recipe for Chilli Pork

Ingredients

• 200 grammes pork belly (sliced thinly)
• 4 pieces dried chilli
• 8 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
• 200 ml hot water
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Seasoning

• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• white pepper powder to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chinese cooking wine

Method

Heat oil in wok and saute dried chilli with garlic till aromatic.

Before garlic turns brown, add sliced pork and stir well. Add sugar and dark soya sauce. Once pork is cooked on outer side, add water gradually (ensure that water continues to boil) followed by salt, pepper and chinese cooking wine.

Cook till gravy reduced before dishing up.

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Chilli Pork