Hong Bak

Hong Bak is in hokkien and the nyonya will call it Babi Hong. It used to be the family favorite when my mother in law was alive. It is delicious served with plain rice or crusty bread like the french baguette.



Ingredients:

• 
  1 kg shoulder pork with skin
• 6 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 225 ml water
• 5 hard boiled eggs(optional)

Spice paste

• 285 g shallots
• 60 g garlic
• 3 tbsp roasted coriander seeds or 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 2.5 cm cukor(kencur) or 1 tsp kencur powder(more info refer http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Kaem_gal.html)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp tau cheo(brown soya bean paste)

Method:

1. For convenience, prepare spice paste first. Grind or poujnd all ingredients for spice paste. If powdered substitutes are used, blend into paste.
2. Cut pork into 5 cm cubes.
3. Heat oil, lower fire and fry spice paste until fragrant and soft.
4. Add pork and stir fry. Add sugar and salt to taste.
5. Add water and allow to simmer, stirring at regular intervals. Dish is ready when pork is soft and gravy is thick. Add the hard boiled eggs.
6. There should be a separation of oil and gravy.

Serves