PORK: Here are 2 very popular recipes of serving pork belly that appear in most Chinese restaurants. The belly of pork might be a bit too fatty for nowaday's health concern, but traditionally, it was enjoyed by most.

PORK BELLY--HOKIEN STYLE 客家扣肉:




1 ½ to 2lb. pork belly, in 1 piece, skin intact

5 dried mushrooms

3 oz. dried shrimp

10 oz. taro or Chinese yam

cooking oil for deep-frying

1 tbsp. dark soy sauce


seasoning:

3 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. glutinous-rice wine or any rice wine, or dry sherry
3 tbsp. sugar



Soak mushrooms and dried shrimp in hot water until well softened. Peel and cut taro into 3/8-inch thick slices. Set aside.


In a large pot of boiling water, add pork belly. Cover pot, bring to a boil and cook, over medium heat, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until meat is tender. Remove meat with tongs and transfer it to a bowl of cold water. Let soak for 30 minutes; then drain meat and pat dry thoroughly. Use a large-bore sewing needle to poke holes all over the skin; then rub pork all over with dark soy sauce repeatedly and let stand 15-20 minute.


In wok or large non-stick saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying until very hot. Remove pan from heat and carefully lower pork piece, skin-side down, into hot oil. Immediately cover pot with splatter screen to prevent splattering. Return pan to stove and reduce heat slightly. Cook until skin on pork is deeply browned. Take pork out and drain on paper towels to cool. Into hot oil, add taro pieces. Fry for a few minutes; then remove with a slotted spoon.


Cut pork into 3/8-inch-thick pieces; taking care to keep skin and flesh together as one piece. Put mushrooms, cap-side down, in the bottom of a large deep heatproof bowl. Arrange pork slices, skin side down, on top of mushrooms, fitting slices tightly together to fit. Put dried shrimp on top, then top with taro slices. Mix seasoning ingredients together then pour it over mixture in bowl. Sit bowl in a large bamboo steamer which can be fitted over a large pot of boiling water. Cover steamer and steam over high heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until meat is very tender.

Pour cooking liquid out of bowl first, then invert bowl over a serving platter to un-mould. Pour sauce back over pork to serve.




PORK BELLY WITH PRESERVED “MUI CHOY”VEGETABLES-梅菜扣肉:




1 ½ to 2 lb. pork belly, skin on, in 1 piece

½ cup “mui-choy”-or preserved vegetable

5 stalks green onion, cut into long pieces

5 thin slices ginger

5 tbsp. dark soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

oil for deep frying


seasoning:

3 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry
3/4 to 1 tbsp. sugar
½ cup water
1 star anise



Rinse “mui-choy” with warm water, drain well and chop it into small pieces. Toss it with the 1 tsp. of sugar


Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add pork belly. When water comes back to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover pot and cook pork for 30-45 minutes. Drain and dry pork thoroughly with a clean tea towel, then wrap it with paper towels to absorb as much water from the meat as possible.

Use a large-bore sewing noodle to poke holes all over the skin. Rub skin all over with soy sauce and let it marinade for 15-20 minutes. Drain meat, reserving the soy sauce, and pat it dry with paper towels.


In wok or deep saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying over high heat until very hot, then remove pan from heat. Carefully lower pork into hot oil, with skin side facing downwards. Quickly cover pot with a splatter screen to avoid splattering. Return pot to stove and turn heat to medium. Cook pork until the skin is deeply-browned. Remove pork from oil and allow it to drain and cool.

Slice pork into roughly 3/8-inch thick slices; and arrange them, side by side and skin side down in a flame-proof round bowl.

Heat oil in a saucepan until hot and cook ginger and green onion. Add in “mui-choy” and seasoning ingredients together with the reserved soy sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, taste for saltiness, adding a little more sugar or water if necessary. Pour mixture over the pork slices in bowl. Place bowl in a large bamboo steamer fitted over a pot of boiling water. Cover steamer and cook pork for 1½ to 2 hours, or until tender. Add more boiling water when necessary during cooking to prevent boiling dry.

Pour cooking liquid from bowl into a saucepan and invert bowl over a serving platter to un-mould. Bring cooking liquid to a boil and reduce it slightly over high heat. Pour sauce over the pork to serve.