Mee Hoon Kueh (Difficulty: 3)

1. Knead 400g flour, 1/2 tsp salt and water (add water bit by bit) into a dough. Knead bit by bit till the entire dough is smooth and not sticking to your hands. Takes more than 10 mins of kneading.
2. Knead a tbs of oil into dough.
3. Separate into portions.
4. Cover with damp cloth for 1/2 hour.
5. Boil anchovy soup (a fistful of anchovy boiled/simmered in water for at least an hour). Peel dough, add to anchovy soup. Add pork, prawns, chye sim and boil.
6. Add fried anchovies and fried shallots just before serving.

Background

Went over to Katherine's place for a lesson on making Mee Hoon Kueh. I have always, always, loved this Hokkien dish, more so if it's home-made, but never got round to learning how to make it. Kat's mee hoon kueh is just like how my mum makes it, authentic. Very yummy. Ate so much, with cilipadi and soy sauce of course. Best. (Best?! Best?!...Wilson must be cursing under his breath that I made his precious about-to-pop wife work so hard in the kitchen).

I'm not sure if it's a West Malaysian dish, but Ed who's from East Malaysia won't eat it. And when I first went to Singapore (back in 1989), not many people seem to have heard of Mee Hoon Kueh either. Only some years later did Meehoonkueh/Banmian shops start sprouting all over the island.

Oh, my eat-potato-peranakan Form 6 buddy and childhood friend Lily had us in stitches years ago when she refered to this dish as "pull-pull" mee. Needless to say, she married an angmoh.

Tau Yu Bak

Source: Improvised from Kuali

Ingredients:

500 gms pork (with skin and some fat), keep pork whole without slicing

For Marinade
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp 5-spice powder
1 tbs oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar or to taste

4 whole garlic pods with skin on
1 star anise
4cm cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste
1 cup water
Hard-boiled eggs (optional)

Instructions:

1. Marinate pork for several hours or overnight.
2. Heat claypot or heavy-based saucepan over medium low heat.
3. Put in marinated pork to brown.
4. Add garlic pods, cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves.
5. Pour in half cup of water and cook covered for 5-8 minutes.
6. Add in dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar and salt to taste.
7. Add half cup of wter and simmer till gravy is thick and meat is tender.
8. If gravy is too thick, just add more water. Same if meat is not tender enough, just add water and simmer for a longer time.
9. Add peeled boiled eggs.
10. To serve, cut pork into slices and add gravy to the dish.

REVIEW:
When cooked: Tuesday 6 February 2007
Which meal: Dinner
Which try: I'm sure I've tried this before, but not sure how many times
Missing ingredients: Cinnamon sticks
Exchanged ingredients: Used 2 whole garlic pods instead of 4 (the garlic here is huge)
Difficulty Level: 2.5
Others: Recipe did not have hard-boiled eggs in it. Oh when I bought the pork it was already sliced.

Verdict: Very popular. Sean ate a big plate of rice by himself. What I like about it is there's nothing to chop or pound. Easy.

Stir-fried ginger pork

Source: www.aromacookery.com

Ingredients:

400 gms pork loin or tenderloin
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
a few drops of sesame oil
a large knob of ginger, about 80 to 100 gms
2 tbsp vegetable oil
light soy sauce, about 2 tbsp or to taste*
water, about 150 ml or just enough to cover the pork

Instructions:

1. Cut pork against the grain into thin slices.
2. Marinate for at least half an hour with 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, and a few drops of sesame oil.
3. Peel the ginger, slice thinly, and cut into fine strips.
4. Heat the wok till very hot. Add the oil and saute the ginger for about one minute, turning constantly.
5. Over moderately high heat, add the pork and stir-fry with the ginger. When the pork starts to change color, add light soy sauce and stir-fry to mix evenly.
6. Quickly pour in the water. When the mixture bubbles, immediately turn the fire off to prevent overcooking the pork. Serve with plain rice.

REVIEW:
When cooked: Friday 26 January 2007
Which meal: Dinner
Which try: First
Missing ingredients: None, cooking wine was added
Exchanged ingredients: None
Difficulty Level: 2
Others: Nil

Verdict: Popular dish. I think I'd try to add dark soy sauce and make it drier next time.

Braised pork loin steak

Source: www.aromacookery.com

Ingredients:

800g pork loin steak
1 tsp corn flour
1 small bowl chopped shallots
1 whole chopped garlic
5 bruised lemongrass
Some galangal, sliced or bruised
Light soy sauce and dark soy sauce to taste
Water

Instructions:

1. Fry shallots, garlice, galangal and lemongrass till fragrant.
2. Add pork (which has been tenderised with corn flour or with back of cleaver), sprinkle brown sugar generously.
3. When sugar has melted, add light and dark soy sauce.
4. Add just enough water to cover meat (not too much). When boiled, taste and add sugar and light soy sauce if necessary.
5. Cover and braise for 1 hour. Remove cover and if drier version is preferred, remove excess gravy and continue to fry pork on high heat, adding dark soy sauce to make pork darker.
6. Cut pork into bite-sized pieces before serving.

REVIEW:
When cooked: Thursday 25 January 2007
Which meal: Dinner
Which try: First
Missing ingredients: None
Exchanged ingredients: None
Difficulty Level: 3
Others: The original recipe calls for Pork Belly ie to make LorBak

Verdict: Everyone loved this dish. Same recipe can be used for braised duck as well.

Barbecue pork ribs

Ingredients:

600g prime ribs
2 tbs oyster sauce
2 tbs hoisin sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dark soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Instructions:

1. Marinate pork ribs with all oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, wine, salt and pepper and cornflour (optional) for half a day.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
3. Brush honey over ribs before baking.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

REVIEW:
When cooked: Tuesday 2 January 2006
Which meal: Dinner
Which try: First
Missing ingredients: None
Exchanged ingredients: None
Difficulty Level: 2
Others: Nil

Verdict: Easy and yummy.

Coca-cola charsiew pork ribs

Source: M4M

Ingredients:

600g prime ribs
2 tbsp charsiew sauce
Corn flour
1 can coca-cola

Instructions:

1. Marinate pork ribs with charsiew sauce and corn flour for 2-3 hours. Fry.
2. Add a can of coca-cola.
3. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove cover, cook on higher heat till gravy almost dries up.

REVIEW:
When cooked: Thursday 21 December 2006
Which meal: Dinner
Which try: Have cooked this many times
Missing ingredients: None
Exchanged ingredients: None
Difficulty Level: 3
Others: Nil

Verdict: Very popular with Ed & the boys. Sticky, gooey, yummy.

Steamed Seabass Hongkong Style

Source: Lai Eng

Ingredients:
1 seabass/pomfret
Ginger (thin shreds)
Fish sauce
Oil
Sugar
Spring onion (thin shreds)

Method:
1. Place fish on a heat-resistant dish. Place ginger on top of fish. I love ginger, hence the generous amount seen above. Steam for 15 minutes.
2. Remove liquid/sauce from dish. Set aside.
3. Boil oil (amount depends on your taste).
4. Pour oil over entire length of fish (be careful, oil may splatter).
5. Sprinkle some sugar. Add spring onion.
7. Add fish sauce.

REVIEW:
When cooked: Saturday 15 December 2006
Which meal: Dinner
Which try: Have cooked this many times
Missing ingredients: Fish Sauce
Exchanged ingredients: Light Soy Sauce
Difficulty Level: 2
Others: Nil

Verdict: Healthy choice. Brian says he prefers my Easy-Peasy Salmon to this but he likes this very much too. Sean prefers this. I love this dish, always have.