This dish is steeped in Singapore’s colonial history. Tiffin is believed to derive from meals ordered from Indian cooks by British army officers, which were delivered in metal tiffin carriers. When these men married and set up home, they would hire Hainanese cooks and probably instructed them to cook similar all-in-one dishes, with pork and potatoes in gravy made with tomato ketchup and the very British Worcestershire sauce.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 4 thick boneless pork chops
- 10 ml/2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 60 ml/4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut (groundnut) oil
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 5 mm/¼ inch slices
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 30 ml/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 30 ml/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- 200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup water
- 2.5 ml/½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Mushy peas and extra Worcestershire sauce, to serve (optional)
Method:
Slice the pork chops horizontally to make thin escalopes, to facilitate cooking. Beat them with a meat mallet to tenderize them and dust them lightly with cornflour.
Heat 15 ml/1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or heavy pan and fry the pieces of pork quickly on both sides until they are lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the sliced onion until soft and golden but not brown. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, blend the Worcestershire sauce with the tomato ketchup, water and pepper and stir until smooth. Fry the sliced potatoes in the onion cooking oil in a single layer, cooking them in batches if necessary, until they are browned on both sides and partially cooked. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Return the pork, onion and potatoes to the pan and add the sauce. Bring to a quick boil and cook, stirring, until the sauce is rich and glossy. If you want to serve the dish in British colonial style, serve with mushy peas and more Worcestershire sauce on the side.