STEAMED FATTY PORK - 蒸五花腩 (TSING NG FAA YUK

Probably the easiest Cantonese home-cooked preparation, but it does require other dishes alongside to ameliorate the sheer delicious greasiness.
Note that the cut called five flower brisket (五花腩 ng-faa naam) is the lovely streaky-in-alternating-layers cut that the Cantonese aunties are eyeing hungrily at the butcher shop just off of Stockton Street.
The Chinese Hospital is nearby.
Maybe not a coincidence.


STEAMED FIVE FLOWER PORK 蒸五花腩

One pound five flower pork, cut into large chunks.
One TBS. shrimp paste (鹹蝦醬 haahm ha jeung).
One TBS. tomato ketchup (optional).
One large thumblength ginger, coarsely slivered.
Pinches salt, sugar, five spice powder.


Rub the shrimp paste and ketchup over the meat. Place in a roomy shallow bowl, sprinkly the pinches over, and strew the ginger on top.
Steam for slightly over an hour and a half.

A dash of rice wine or cooking sherry may be added before placing this in the steamer.
In any case, the juices rendered by the cooking process are perhaps the most delightful thing about this dish.

MUI CHOI KAU YUK (梅菜扣肉) - STEAMED SALT VEGETABLE MEAT

Pig belly bacon with Chinese sauerkraut.
Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2012/07/mui-choi-kau-yuk-steamed-salt-vegetable.html.

Also called kau yoke, kou yiuk, or various other phonetic renderings of the Chinese characters. Very popular in Hawaii and on the West Coast.



梅菜扣肉 MUI CHOI KAU YUK

1¼ to 1¾ Lbs. ng-fa naam (五花腩 five flower pork brisket).
Three scallion, two inch lengths.
Three slices of ginger.
Three cloves garlic, smashed.
A large handful of mui choi (梅菜 plum vegetable).
One whole star-anise (baat gok 八角).
A pinch of five spice powder ((五香粉 ng-heung fun).

4-5 TBS. soy sauce.
2 TBS. sherry.
1 TBS. sugar.

Note that mui choi comes in semi-dry vacuum sealed packs as well as canned in brine. So the quantity necessary is best estimated at one quarter to one third of the meat after soaking and rinsing. Or more, depending on your own preference.
The brine version is easier for guesswork, but not necessarily recommended.
Either can be used.

Soak the mui choi for an hour or so in plenty of water, then rinse very thoroughly, drain, and squeeze out excess liquid. This removes sand, grit, and salt.
Chop it small.

Scrub the skin side of the meat with salt to clean it, then simmer it whole for ten minutes in water with the ginger and scallion to pre-cook and 'melt' some of the fat. Remove, drain, dry. Reserve a little of the liquid for the sauce.
Use an ice-pick or a sharp fork to prick holes in the skin, rub a little soy sauce over that side only, and let it sit for a while.

Heat oil in a skillet and carefully slide the meat in, skin-side down. Beware of the oil erupting - it is best to have a spatter-guard or a lid handy. Fry the meat till the skin-side is nicely darkened, almost mahogany.
Remove, drain, and let cool.

When the meat is cold enough to handle, slice it inch-thick across, each piece having all layers including the skin.
Arrange it in a broad bowl, skin-side up. Whisk the soy sauce, sherry, and sugar together and pour HALF of this over the meat, along with the star anise and pinch of five spice powder. Put the bowl in the steamer, and steam for an hour.

Now gild the garlic in a modicum of oil, add the chopped mui choi to parch. Pour in the other half of the soy sauce - sherry - sugar mixture, plus any liquid saved from the blanching at the beginning, and bring to a boil.
Pour this over the meat, making sure that most of the mui choi goes around the meat rather than on top.
Steam for another thirty minutes, or somewhat longer.

A little chopped scallion and shredded ginger to finish, and it can be served.

ADOBO

ADOBO
[Philippino savoury-sour stewed pork ('adobong baboy') or chicken ('adobong manok').]

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/04/one-kosher-three-not.html


1 LBS pork or chicken, chunk cut
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1 or 2 bay leaves
1/4 cup vinegar or enough to cover meat
2 tablespoons soy sauce


In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender and the liquid is much reduced.
If meat is still tough and there is no more stock, add 2 Tablespoons hot water and continue simmering.
When the meat is tender, brown the meat slightly in its own fat.


Note: I usually add some tomato paste and coconut milk (santen) to this.

PAKSIW

PAKSIW
[Philippino sour-cooked pork ('paksiw na baboy') or fish ('paksiw na isda').]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/04/one-kosher-three-not.html



One pound fatty pork, or a nice fish, chunked.
Half a cup vinegar
One tablespoon amber fish sauce
Minced ginger and garlic
One teaspoon sugar
A mild or hot chili pepper, left whole

Mix all ingredients except the pork or fish, and bring to a boil. Turn low and simmer for five or ten minutes before adding the pork or fish. Pork will need over an hour, fish no more than ten minutes. Pork may therefore require more liquid, fish less.

Note: chunks of lechon (roast pig) are often also cooked this way.

DINUGUAN

DINUGUAN
[Philippino blood soup]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/04/one-kosher-three-not.html


1 Lbs fatty pork, diced or chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 Lbs pork liver, diced
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoon amber fish sauce
1/2 cup stock
1 cup frozen pig blood (dugo na babuy - available at some Philippino or Vietnamese stores)
2 teaspoons Sugar


Cook pork in stock with water to cover for about half an hour. Sautee onion and garlic in a separate pan till golden and fragrant, then add the liver. When the liver is tender mash coarsely with a fork, and add to the pan with the pork chunks. Pour in the vinegar and the fish sauce, and simmer for about twenty minutes. Then add the pig blood and the sugar, and cook, stirring, for another ten to fifteen minutes.