Memories in the Cooking

This is a simple, comforting and delicious Japanese Izakaya dish - Shogayaki.  Ingredients:  - 500g of Shabu Pork Belly  - 1 tablespoon of mirin  - 1 tablespoon of sake  - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 1 teaspoon of sugar  - 1 large piece of ginger, grated - 1 dash of dark soya sauce  Procedures: 1) Marinate Shabu Pork Belly in mirin, sake, light soya sauce, sugar and grated ginger.  2) In a frying pan, add vegetable oil. Fry Shabu Pork until brown.  3) Add the leftover marinate and dark soya sauce for colour. Adjust taste if needed with salt/sugar/pepper. Garnish with chopped spring onion. 

Nyonya dishes are often known for the many ingredients and elaborated steps  This is a simple cook-by-itself version of Babi Pongteh.  Ingredients: - 1 kg of pork ribs  - 4 potatoes, cut into chunks  - 6 dried mushrooms, rehydrated and cut into quarters  - 2 tablespoons of fermented beanpaste  - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce  - 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce  - 1 cinnamon stick  - 2 tablespoons of gula melaka  - 4 cloves of garlic, chopped  - 3 red onions, chopped Procedures:  1) In a slow-cooker, place pork ribs, chopped garlic, chopped onions, mushrooms, fermented beanpaste, oyster sauce, dark soya sauce, cinnamon stick and gula melaka. Add water (or water used to soak mushrooms) into the pot until it just covers ingredients.  2) Set the slow-cooker at high setting and let it cook for 3 hours.  3) Add potatoes to the mix. Let it cook for another 2 hours. Serve. 

Lu Rou Fan is a classic Taiwanese dish. The gluey and melt-in-your mouth pork serve on with rice epitomises comfort food. This is a hassel-free recipe because I am using the slow-cooker to do the magic. Ingredients: - 500g of pork skin - 500g of pork belly - 2 bulbs of garlic, remove the skin - 80g of Chinese parsley, chopped - 80g of ginger, sliced - 1/2 cup of dark soya sauce - 1/2 cup of light soya sauce - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil - 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder - 1/2 cup of huatiao wine - 3 tablespoons of sugar - 2 cinnamon sticks - 3 anistars - 10 pieces of cloves - 50g of fried shallots Procedures: 1) Blench pork skin and pork belly in boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool it and cut it into small pieces. 2) Place the pork skin and pork belly into a slow-cooker. 3) Add dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, sesame oil, five-spice powder, huatiao wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, anistars and cloves to the meat.  Mix well. 4) Add water just enough to cover the...

It seems a little 'extra' to cook ham when it can be eaten cold. However, the addition of cloves and pineapple really elevates the taste of the usual ham.  Ingredients: - ham - cloves  - one can of pineapple - 2 tablespoons of sugar  Procedures: 1) Shave off the 'casing' of the ham.  2) Cut a criss cross pattern on the ham. Insert cloves on the surface of the ham. Place the ham in a baking tray.  3) In a pan, add the can pineapple and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Boil it until it thickens. Pour the sauce on the ham.  4) Bake it at 180 degree celsius for 1 hour. During this time, brush the sauce on the surface of the ham every 15 minutes. Serve. 

I find the traditional recipe of Porchetta is quite time consuming some it involves slow roasting for several hours. Hence, I improvise slightly and take some reference from the chinese roasted pork recipe.  Ingredients: - 1.4 kg of pork belly, butterflied - 2 teaspoons of salt - pepper - 1 tablespoon of Italian mixed herbs - 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs - 1 onion, diced - 1 bulb of garlic, minced Procedures: 1) Score the pork belly skin. Cut the meatside slightly so that it can absorb the flavours from the stuffing better later. Coat the skin with about 2 tablespoons of salt.  2) In a frying pan, add some vegetable oil. Fry onions and garlic until fragrant. Add herbs and breadcrumbs. (Optional: Add chicken liver). Leave the breadcrumbs mix to cool until room temperature. 3) Scoop the breadcrumbs on the pork belly (meat side). Roll up the pork belly and secure it with cooking twine. 4) Leave it in the fridge overnight. Air-dry the pork skin the next day before roasting...

Roasted Pork Knuckles always have the power to impress. I used to get this cut for German Pork Knuckles from NTUC in AMK Hub. Since I had moved out from Ang Mo Kio, I realise that I could not find this cut in other supermarkets. Recently, I managed to find it at the butchery in Sheng Song. So happy! Ingredients:  - 1 pork knuckle  - salt  - garlic  Procedures:  1) Pat dry a washed pork knuckle. Use 3 satay sticks to hold the pork skin in place.  2) Fan dry the pork knuckle. Apply a layer of salt on the pork skin.  3) Roast it in the oven at 180 degree celsius for 1 hour. Scrap away the layer of salt.  4) Roast again at 250 degree celsius until the skin is crispy. Serve with mustard sauce. 

I always love Thai cuisine for it's flavours. This Grilled Thai Pork Jowl is also packed with lots of wonderful flavours.  Ingredients: - 600g of pork jowl  - 2 stalks of lemongrass - 4 cloves of garlic  - 2 tablespoons of gula melaka  - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce  - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - tamarind water (use 1 packet of tamarind)  - 1 Thai green lime - 2 tablespoons of crushed peanuts  - 1 large chili, chopped finely  - few stalks of parsley, chopped  Procedures: 1) In a blender, add lemongrass, garlic, gula mela. Blend until it becomes a smooth paste.  Add oyster sauce and light soya sauce. Marinate the pork jowl with it, overnight.  2) In a hot grilling pan, add a little vegetable oil. Grill the pork jowl, each side for about 5 mins. Set it aside and let it rest.  3) Pour the rest of the marinate into a pan. Add tamarind water and chili. Heat it until it boils. Adjust the taste with salt or sugar if neede...

This Hakka's dish can be very complicated as cooking the traditional way would involve branching, deep-frying, stir-frying and steaming! So, I have decided to simplify it. The whole process only requires slow cooking. It still tastes good, especially with a steamy bowl of rice. Ingredients: - a stab of 1kg pork belly, cut into slices - 1 packet of salty mei cai  - 1 packet of sweet mei cai - 1 bulb of garlic, chopped  - dark soya sauce  - light soya sauce  - oyster sauce  - shaoxing wine  - sugar  Procedures:  1) Wash mei cai and soak overnight. Cut into small pieces.  2) To the slow cooker pot, add garlic, chopped mei cai, pork belly slices.  3) Add 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce, 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of shaoxing wine and 1 tablespoon of sugar.  4) Add water until it just covers the ingredients. Cook at high setting for about 4 hours.  5)...

I always rely on my husband, the craftsman of the house to help me with dishes that are like craftwork. However, even he finds making Bak Chang very tedious. So, this year, we improvised this Giant No-Wrap Bak Chang. Just one is enough to feed the family of four.  Ingredients (for 2 Giant Bak Chang): - 3 cups of glutinous rice  - 500g of pork belly, cut into bite-size - 10 mushrooms, hydrated, cut into bite-size - 5 pork sausages, cut into bite-size  - 8 salted egg yokes - 100g of chestnuts  - 1/3 of light soya sauce  - 1/3 of dark soya sauce  - 1/3 of sesame oil - 2 tablespoons of sugar  - 1 tablespoon of five spice powder  - 2 cinnamon sticks  - 5 anistars  - 1 cup of water  - 20 pieces of bamboo leaves  Procedures: 1) Soak bamboo leaves and glutinous rice overnight. 2) In a slow-cooker, place pork belly, sausages, chestnuts, mushrooms and all seasonings. Mix well. Let it cook at 'auto' setting for 5-6 hours.  3) Drain t...

This is a recreation of our Por Por's Hakka Meatballs. Instead of mixing in flour, I use tofu instead to pump up the amount of protein.  Ingredients: - 450g of tofu, frozen, unfrozen and crumbled  - 750g of minced pork (use more fatty parts for more tender and juicier meatballs) - 400g of fish paste  - 3-4 pieces of salted fish, washed and cut into small pieces  - 1-2 dried cuttlefish, washed and cut into small pieces  - 3 tablespoons of light soya sauce  - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil - white pepper  - 1/4 teaspoon of salt  Procedures  1) Mix all ingredients together  2) Roll them into balls (around 45 balls) and place them on a baking tray.  3) Brush vegetable oil on the meatballs.  4) Bake at 180 degree celsius for 30 minutes. Turn it over at the half-way mark.  5) Store the meatballs. Before serving, fry or bake it again. 

This dish is so appetizing. My family licks off every single drop of the tangy and sweet sauce.  Ingredients: - 500g of pork chops - 3 cloves of garlic, minced  - 3 onions, sliced - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce - 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar  - 1 tablespoon of sugar  Procedures: 1) Marinate pork chops in minced garlic and light soya sauce overnight.  2) Pan-fry pork chops until cooked.  3) Add onions to the frying pan and fry until soft.  4) Add the light soya sauce marinate, balsamic vinegar and sugar.  5) Simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve. 

I have always like cheesy and creamy food. This dish adds to my repertoire for such food. The ingredients are also very affordable.  Ingredients: - 1 tray of bread rolls - 1 can of nestle cream  - 2 parts of milk (using the cream can for measurement)  - 300g of mozzarella cheese  - 2 tablespoons of flour Procedures:  1) In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a boil.  2) In 200g of the mozzarella cheese, mix in the flour. 3) Add the cheese and flour to the cream and milk. Stir until the sauce thickens.  4) Add salt and pepper to desired taste.  5) Slice the bread rolls into half. Lay half the bread rolls on the baking tray.  6) Spread half the cream sauce on the bread rolls. Add a layer of ham on the cream sauce. Top it up with the other layer of the bread rolls.  7) Spread the other half of the cream sauce on the bread rolls.  8) Sprinkle a layer of cheese on the cream sauce. Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil.  9) Ba...

This is another easy air-fryer recipe - Tonkatsu. To save time, I marinated the pork the night before. This allows me to serve a weekday dinner within 30 minutes after reaching home.  Ingredients: - 500g of Pork tenderloin, butterflied (or pork shoulder)  - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce  - pepper  - 1 teaspoon of five space powder  - 2 tablespoons of huatiao wine  - 1 egg - 2 tablespoons of corn flour  - Japanese bread crumbs  - vegetable oil Procedures: 1) Butterfly and flatten pork. Place it in a marinating bowl/container.  2) Add light soya sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, five spice powder and huatiao wine. Let it marinate for 24 hours.  3) Add an egg to the pork. Add cornflour and mix well.  4) Coat the pork with Japanese breadcrumbs.  5) Place them in the air-fryer in a single layer. Spray vegetable oil on the pork.  6) Bake at 180 degree celsius for 25 minutes.  7) Turn the p...

My favourite type of satay is pork satay, which is less available than the other types (chicken, beef, lamb). So, I make it at home so that I can enjoy it to my heart's content. Ingredients: (For satay)  - 600g of pork belly or pork jowl  - 2 sticks of lemon grass - 4 shallots - a few slices of ginger - 4 cloves of garlic - 1 tablespoon of tumeric - 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce - 2 tablespoons of sugar - 1 teaspoon of salt (For peanut sauce)  - 8 dried chili, rehydrated - 1 thumb-size galangal, sliced  - 4 shallots  - 2 lemon grass  - 1 cup of crushed peanut  - 1 tablespoon of tamarind, make into juice using 1 cup of water  - 2 tablespoons of sugar - 1 teaspoon of salt  Procedures: 1) Blend lemon grass, shallots, ginger and garlic. Add tumeric, dark soya sauce, salt, sugar and mix well. Marinate the pork belly/pork jowl overnight with the mixture. 2) Skew the pork on satay sticks. Lay them on a baking tray. Spray them wi...

When I was living in UK several years ago, I was amazed at how my church friends were able to host simple home parties straight after Sunday church services. Didn't they need time to whip up the meals? That was when I opened my eyes to the method of slow cooking. Pulled Pork Burger is a dish that allows you to be 4 hours away from home as it cooks itself. Ingredients: - 1 kg of pork shoulder  - 2 teaspoon salt - pepper - citrus juice (apple juice or orange juice or even kombucha) or coke(enough to cover the pork)  - half a bottle of BBQ sauce  - 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs  - 8 hamburger buns  - 8 poached eggs  - salad and fruits  Procedures:  1) Place the pork shoulder in a crocked pot.  2) Add salt, pepper, herbs and citrus juice/coke and let it cook for 4 hours at auto mode.  3) Shred the tendered pork in a large mixing bowl. Add BBQ sauce.  4) Assemble the pulled pork between the hamburger buns....

This is my version of 乱棍打死猪八戒。 My family thinks that it is a very yummy one-dish fast meal.  Ingredients: - 250g of pork belly, cut into strips  - 3 Russet potatoes, cut into strips  - 3 carrots, cut into strips  - 4 stalks of celery, cut into strips - 4 cloves of garlic, minced  - 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of mirin - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil  Procedures: - Marinate pork belly in light soya sauce, mirin, sesame oil and minced garlic overnight.  - In a frying pan, place the pork belly. Dry fry it in low fire untill the pork belly oil are rendered from the pork belly.  - Add carrots, potatoes and celery strips. Fry and mix well.  - Add any leftover marinate and a bit of water. Simmer until the vegetables are soft. Serve. 

Many of my dishes came about because there were leftovers or unused ingredients. Today, I have a carton of soya bean milk which is not popular with the kids. So, I decided to make this dish of Homemade Tofu.  Ingredients: - 700ml of soya bean milk, unsweetened - 8 eggs - 500g of minced pork  - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce  - 1 teaspoon of salt  - a bunch of parsley  - fried shallots  - corn flour  Procedures: 1) In a mixing bowl, add soya bean milk, eggs and salt. Mix well. Pass it through a sieve into a round baking tray.  2) Steam it for 30 minutes. Let it cool.  3) Coat the egg tofu with corn starch. Deep fry it until brown. Set it aside on a serving plate.  4) Fry minced pork and chopped parsley. Add oyster sauce and pepper to taste. Add a cup of water. Thicken the sauce with corn starch.  5) Pour the meat sauce over the tofu. Sprinkle some fried shallots. Serve. 

This is my invention! I believe many of us are familiar with Thai Basil Pork and Snail Sausages separately. This recipe combines both together!  Ingredients:  - 500g of minced pork  - thai basil, chopped  - 2 chili padi, chopped  - 3 cloves of garlic, minced  - 3 tablespoons of fish sauce  - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil  - about 10 sheets of large spring roll skin  Procedures: 1) In a mixing bowl, add minced pork, thai basil, chili, garlic, fish sauce and sesame oil. Mix well.  2) Line up the 10 sheets of large spring roll skin side by side and overlapping with each other. (see below)  3) Line the minced pork in a cylindrical shape across all sheets of spring roll. Roll them up and swirl it into a snail shape. Use a long satay stick to pierce through the sausage and hold the shape.  4) Pan-fry the snail sausage such that both sides are golden brown.  5) Bake it in the oven at 180 degree celsius for another 15 minutes. Serve....

This is a 10-minute yummy dish that one can cook during the weekday.  Ingredients: - 400g of Iberico Pork Shabu  - 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced  - 1 tablespoon of minced beanpaste  - 1 teaspoon of chinese cooking wine  - 1 teaspoon of dark soya sauce - 2 teaspoons of sugar - pepper  - 1 bunch of parsley, chopped Procedures: 1) In a frying pan, add beanpaste, sugar, garlic, chinese cooking wine, dark soya sauce and half a bowl of water. Let it cook until it thickens.  2) Add Iberico Pork and cook until brown.  3) Add parsley and mix well. Serve. 

A few years ago, I visited the hometown of Mapo Tofu (Si Chuan, Chengdu) and enjoyed the food tremendously. I ate like a local as I savoured the 口水鸡，水煮鱼，麻辣火锅，braised rabbit heads etc. With my little ones at home, it is hard to cook any Si Chuan dishes. Today, I decided to push the boundaries a little with a not-so-spicy Mapo Tofu. My elder son loves it! I think I can up my game in future.  Ingredients: - 4 cloves of garlic, minced  - 250g minced pork  - 1 block of tofu, cut into cubes - corn flour  - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 1 teaspoon of fermented soya beanpaste  - 1 tablespoon of Lao Gan Ma's chili oil  - spring onions for garnishing Procedures: 1) Add 1 tablespoon of corn flour and light soya sauce to minced pork. Mix well and let it marinate.  2) Soak the tofu cubes in hot water.  3) To a frying pan, add a little vegetable oil. Add garlic and fry until fragrant. Add minced pork and fry until bro...