This traditional dish is cooked mostly without water, with the result that the pork is almost pickled. The only cut of pork to use for this is belly, as it has the correct proportion of lean meat and fat. It is worth cooking a large batch as it keeps so well.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 1 kg/2¼ lb belly pork
- 50 ml/17 fl oz/generous 2 cups water
- 45 ml/3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2.5 ml/1 teaspoon salt
- 10 ml/2 teaspoons sugar
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- 30 ml/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
For the spice paste:
- 1 large onion or 20 shallots, roughly chopped
- 3 stalk lemon grass, trimmed to leave 7.5 cm/3 inch of the root end
- 10 g/¼ oz galangal, chopped
- 10 dried chillies, soaked until soft and seeds removed (optional for milder flavor)
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 40 g/1½ oz shrimp paste
- 8 candlenuts
Method:
First make the spice blend. Grind all the paste ingredients in a mortar and pestle or food processor until fine. Put the pork in a pan and add the water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pork and drain well.
Holding the meat firmly, insert a sharp knife between the skin and the meat, and remove the skin in one piece. Cut the pork into 3 cm/1 inch wide strips trimming off any excess fat. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan and fry the spice paste over low heat for 10 minutes. Do not rush this step.
Add the pork and fry over low heat for 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Add salt, sugar and soy sauce and continue to fry for 5 minutes, making sure every piece is well coated. The pork will take on a mahogany hue.
Remove the central spine of each lime leaf and shred very finely with a sharp knife or scissors. Add the shredded leaves to the pork in the last minutes of frying. Leave to cool before storing in an airtight container, if not serving immediately. It goes very well with sliced cucumber.