Lobak (Red Braised Pork)

I've been reading my old blog and improving a few recipes recently. There is a lot of nostalgia to these recipes, because they don't just represent food, but also memories of my friends and my family. It so happened that I had two slabs of pork belly in my freezer, so I decided to whip up a slice of the past.

Lobak is meat (bak) braised in a red sauce (lo). In Mandarin, this is pronounced lu rou. Although the braising liquid consists of relatively great volumes of soya sauce, the long period on the stove means that the various elements are infused and come together to form a rather complex end product with a surprisingly light touch.

LOBAK (Red Braised Pork)

A - Meat
1lb/500g pork belly
2 tbsp Five spice powder

B - Braising liquid part 1
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 oz. rock sugar (or plain sugar)
2 cloves garlic, minced

C - Braising liquid part 2
1/2 cup dark soy (optional: mushroom flavored)
1/2 cup light soy
1/4 cup vermouth/dry white wine
6 cups water

D - Aromatics
2 whole star anise
3" cinnamon stick
1 leek, washed, halved lengthwise and chopped into 1" parts
2" galangal (lengkuas), peeled and sliced into coins

*****

A - Rub the five spice powder into the meat and leave in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

B - Heat oil in a wok on high. Add sugar. When all the sugar has melted, lower heat to medium so that it doesn't burn; the color of the molasses should be golden yellow. Throw the minced garlic in. Warning: it will bubble and sizzle!

C - Add both soys, vermouth and water. Don't worry if the molasses harden - they will melt eventually. Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a boil. The final mixture should be smooth and bubbling. Taste and, if needed, add a little more sugar.

D - Slip A gently into the braising liquid. Make sure all the meat is submerged. Arrange the spices, leek and galangal around the meat. Braise covered for at least 3 hours, checking and stirring every 45 minutes. Control the fire and keep on a light rolling boil throughout. Lower the fire if it is bubbling too much.

In the last hour, braise uncovered to reduce and thicken the braising liquid. You should have around 2 cups of gravy at the end.

Take the meat out and slice.** Arrange on a plate and drizzle gravy over. Serve with steamed pak choi and rice, with the remaining gravy in a bowl for drizzling over rice.

** I discovered that it is easier to slice when the meat has been refrigerated overnight. The meat and gravy should be refrigerated separately.

Spaghetti Carbonara

A quick old favorite that I dug up from my old blog last week when The Boy was away and I was cooking for one. You can tell this is a highly casual dish from the way I'm eyeballing my measurements... precision is not required here, only comfort.

RECIPE: PASTA CARBONARA
(serves 1)

Spaghetti

1 tbsp Olive oil
Pancetta/bacon, cut into small cubes
Splash of White wine/Vermouth
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2-3 tbsp Parmesan, shaved
Pinch of nutmeg
Black pepper

*****

1. Cook pasta.

2. While that is bubbling in its pot, heat the olive oil in a pan - not too much since the pancetta will throw off some grease. The olive oil is there to add flavor. Brown the pancetta.

3. Add the wine and simmer till it is reduced to half.

4. Beat the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl - no salt since the parmesan and pancetta are salty already. That's your carbonara sauce.

5. When wine has been reduced for a few minutes, add cooked pasta and mix. Add carbonara sauce and toss. Take off the stove before you do this - you don't want an omelette! The aim is to coat every inch of pasta with the gooey, eggy, yellowy mixture, letting it be cooked by the heat radiating from the pasta itself.

Serve with shaved parmesan. I like to fry the remainder egg white and serve on top too, but that's just a personal habit.