EZCR#59 - FRIED STREAKY PORK IN APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SAUCE

Sometimes it is good to have in hand a variety of sauces that is easy to prepare to go with fried meat [poultry or pork etc].  This sauce is an easy sauce which is suitable for fried pork fillet or fried chicken and the common ingredients like Apple Cider Vinegar, soy sauce, wine, sugar and pepper are available in most kitchens.

This dish looks simple yet it taste awesome, appetising and tasty to serve with rice.  I ate more rice with this dish which tastes sourish, sweet and savoury.  The mushrooms and pork fillets are full of flavours and aromatic.

Ingredients

200 gm streaky pork fillet - cut 2 inch lengths

4-6 dried mushrooms - soaked, drained and keep whole

1 tbsp each of chopped garlic, red chillies and spring onions

Seasoning Sauce [combined]

2 tbsp each Apple Cider Vinegar, light soy sauce and wine

1 tsp sugar to taste

dash of pepper

1. Marinate pork pieces with some light soy sauce.
2. Heat up a non-stick wok without oil, pan fry streaky pork fillet and dried mushrooms until brown and fragrant.
3. Remove excess oil from the pan,  saute garlic until fragrant.  Pour in combined sauce and add in 100 ml water.
4. Bring sauce to boil with fried ingredients.  Lower heat and braise until sauce is thick or reduced.  Add in spring onions and red chillies.
5. Dish up and serve with rice.
   
   
   
    
   

Note: Increase the sauce ingredients if you are cooking a bigger portion of meat.

EZCR#56 - BRAISED PORK, EGGS AND MUSHROOM

Prepared this One Dish Meal, too eager to eat it and didn't bother much with taking more photos. As I like to savour it hot with the rice, I didn't dish up onto a serving plate for some photo shots. This can be served as a dish, not necessary as a One Dish Meal over a plate of rice.

It is homey, Mama flavour dish.

This is the kind of 'non-elaborate' meal which I cooked when my hubby isn't home or on busy days. 

The combination of ingredients can be according to own preference. It is the seasoning that is more important to the overall taste of this dish.

Ingredients

[serves 2]

150 gm lean pork - sliced

1 packet Ernygii mushrooms - cut wedges

several stalks of siew pak choy - halved

2 eggs

1 tbsp chopped ginger

some sliced chillies - optional

200 ml water

1 stalk spring onions - cut

Seasoning

2 tbsp each of light soy sauce and cooking wine

1 tbsp oyster sauce

dash of pepper and msg to taste

1. Marinate sliced pork with 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1/2 tbsp cornflour.  Set aside.
2. Heat up 1-2 tbsp oil in non-stick wok, fry eggs [sunny up] until cooked and edges are crispy.  Dish up.
3. Add in marinated pork, stir fry until 50% cooked.  dish up.
4. Add in ginger and mushrooms, fry until aromatic and mushrooms are slightly brown.  Return meat and eggs to the wok, add seasoning and water.  Bring to boil.
5. Top with vegetables, cover to cook for a minute.  Remove lid and cook till gravy is reduced.  Lastly add in spring onions.
6. Dish up over a plate of rice.
7. Serve hot with cut chillies.

EZCR#55 - STREAKY PORK FILLET SESAME SALAD

The hot and dry weather season does affect my mood for cooking and baking. What more with my hubby away from home, it is good time for me to prepare simple and easy dishes like salads and soups or even One Dish Meals.

This salad is rather easy to prepare. I can use any combination of vegetables that can be eaten raw or suitable for salads and serve it with the blanched meat slices with a dressing. 

Here, I used a sesame flavour salad dressing and it turns out well. 

It is aromatic, savoury and sweet. Chilli oil can be added to increase the spiciness.

Ingredients

1 small zucchini – washed and shredded

1 yellow onion – peeled and finely sliced

1/2 red carrot - peeled and shredded

1 tomato - cut thin strips

1 red chilli – seeded and chopped

1 stalk coriander – chopped

Some toasted sesame seeds

150 – 200 gm streaky pork belly – cut in 2 inch lengths

Dressing [combined]

2 tbsp sesame paste

1 tbsp each oyster sauce, light soy sauce and sesame seed oil to taste

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp cold water

1. Soaked shredded ingredients in boiled cold water for a few minutes, drain in colander.  Place them on serving platter.
2. Combine dressing ingredients, taste to adjust.
3. Bring a pot of water to boil, blanch meat slices until cooked through [when the water turns clear, the meat is cooked].   Dish up and place over vegetables.
4. Drizzle over the dressing. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.
5. Serve immediately.
   
   
   
   

THERMAL COOKER - SPARE RIBS WITH RED WINE RESIDUUM

This dish is a stew pork ribs recipe but instead of stewing in claypot, I cooked the ribs using my Thermal Cooker.  I have to choose thermal cooking as I didn't have much time to be at the stove.  This dish was prepared during the time when my MIL was in hospital.

I had marinated the pork ribs the night before and made the wrapping and cooking the next morning before leaving for the hospital.  When I'm back in the evening, the ribs are cooked and tender.  As I like the dish hot, I reheat the parcel just before serving.

This pork ribs are very tasty with the meat juices and nicely coloured by the red wine residuum.  It isn't oily at all.  Glad that my family can get enjoy this yummy meat dish during busy times with the use of thermal cooker.
Recipe adapted from this month's selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #5 -Yum Yum Magazine No. 48 [modified]

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

500 gm meaty spare ribs - whole [make a few slits]

1 tbsp shredded ginger

3 tbsp red wine residuum [ang chow]

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar, sesame seed oil

3 tbsp shaoxing wine

1. Mix all the ingredients and marinate the ribs for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Wrap the ribs with aluminum foil.  Seal well.
3. Pour 300 ml water into the inner pot of thermal cooker.   Put in the parcel, bring to boil for 20 minutes, off heat, cover the lid and transfer pot to the outer pot.  Close the lid and leave to cook for at least 2 hours.
4. Remove, garnish with spring onions and serve immediately [you may reheat the inner pot until the water dries up if there is still some water remaining in the inner pot or if you like to serve this dish hot].
5. If not using Thermal Cooker, you can heat up a clean wok, pour in 400 ml water and bring to boil.  Put in the parcel, cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes or until the water is dried.  Continue to cook for a further 3 minutes before removing.
6. Garnish and serve.
   
   
   

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #5 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

THERMAL COOKER - BUDDHA’S GOURD SWEET POTATO PORK RIB SOUP

These days, I love to cook soups using my Thermal Cooker especially those soups that require a longer simmering time like pork ribs and chicken. With the thermal cooker, I need not have to simmer soup or watch over the stove all the time. I find that the soups are clear and the meat are just tender. This soup is high in fibre, the natural sweetness comes from the Buddha’s gourd and sweet potatoes. The seasoning ingredients are salt, wine and pepper.

Moreover, the pork ribs are just tender together with the other ingredients.
 A good homey comfort soup suitable for all ages. 
Ingredients
1 small Buddha’s Gourd – washed and cut chunky pieces 
1 small sweet potato – peeled and cut chunky pieces 
300 gm meaty pork ribs – blanched and rinsed
4 dried mushrooms – soaked, keep whole or halved
1 tbsp wolfberries [kei chee] 
1 litre water or stock
Seasoning
1 tbsp wine
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water or stock to boil in inner pot of thermal cooker [you can cook this soup with normal pot, the usual way], add in pork ribs.
2. Bring to boil for about 20-25 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and let in boil for another 5-10 minutes. Cover pot and transfer to outer pot of Thermal Cooker.
3. Close the lid and leave the soup to continue cooking in it. Soup should be ready within 1-2 hours.
4. Before serving, bring soup to boil, taste to adjust seasoning.
5. Serve hot in soup bowl.
   
    
   
   

BRAISED BBQ PORK BELLY

The other day, I was supposed to buy pork ribs to cook soup but didn't know why I chose pork belly.  My memory must be getting poor.

Without knowing what to do with the 300 gm of pork belly, I flipped through some of my recipe collections and came across this BBQ Pork Belly recipe which seems simple enough with most of the ingredients available in my kitchen.

Got down to cook it right away and this is the outcome.  A very tasty pork dish, the meat is tender but still has a bite.  The sauce is savoury sweet, fragrant which is nice to spread over rice.  Glad that I chose this recipe to try.  Instead of braising, this seasoning is good marinade  for barbecue spare ribs.

Ingredients

300 gm pork belly with skin - cut bite size pieces

2 tbsp BBQ sauce

1 tbsp each of chopped shallots and ginger

Seasoning

1 tbsp light soy sauce to taste

1 tbsp honey to taste

dash of pepper

1. Marinate pork belly with BBQ sauce for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Heat a non stick wok, add in pork belly. Reserve the marinade Pan fry until oil oozes out and meat pieces are brown.
3. Push aside, add in chopped shallots and garlic.  Fry until aromatic and mix well. Add in marinade and seasoning.
4. Bring to boil for awhile, then add in enough water to cover the meat.  Let it boil and simmer until gravy is thick and meat is tender.
5. Dish up to serve with rice.