RECIPES OF MALAYSIA

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb

2 tbsp

1 tbsp

1 tbsp

1 1/2 tbsp

2 cups

1

5-6

1 cup

Pork belly (cut into 1½ inch cubes)

Sugar

Dried shitake mushrooms

Sliced bamboo shoots (optional)

Salt (adjust to taste)

Pepper (adjust to taste)

24

8 cloves

Shallots

Garlic

1. Soak dried shitake mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water to reconstitute, and cut into slices and reserve liquid for cooking

2. Blanch bamboo shoots briefly in hot water and drain

3. Using a mortar and pestle or blender, grind shallots and garlic into a paste

4. Heat vegetable oil in a hot wok, add ground paste, stir-fry for about 1 minute

5. Add mashed preserved soy beans or Miso paste and coriander powder, stir-fry for another minute

6. Add pork belly and dark soy sauce, stir-fry on high for about 5 minutes

7. Transfer pork belly into a clay pot, add star anise, sugar, reserved (shitake mushroom) liquid and some water to cover the meat, and season with salt and pepper

8. Bring to a boil, add shitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots

9. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is very tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour

10. Serve with Chinese crullers (a light fried dough bread) or steamed rice

    and if preferred, a chili dipping sauce