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Palm sugar braised pork belly




More often than not, palm sugar is normally used to make sweet desserts and seldom is it used in a dish.  Always willing to experiment and try out new recipes, I used palm sugar in this braised pork dish and it wasn't a disappointment.












This sweet and slighty tangy pork dish partners very well with piping hot white rice.

Recipe for Palm sugar  braised pork belly

Ingredients

  • 450 gm pork belly cut into bite size
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 2 chilli padi/bird eye chillies, cut
  • 1.1/2 tsp preserved bean paste (tau cheong)
  • 25 gm gula melaka/palm sugar
  • 1 tsp light soya sauce
  • 1/2  tsp dark soya sauce
  • 3 pieces tamarind skin
  • 1 cup water
Preparation
  1. Marinate the pork belly with some seasalt for about an hour or so, set aside.
  2. Saute the bean paste with the sliced shallots and bird eye chillies with some oil, till fragrant.
  3. Add in the pork belly and stir-fry for a while. 
  4. Add in the water, palm sugar, sauces and tamarind skin,  bring to the boil, cover, simmer on low heat till meat is tender and cooked through.
  5. Fine tune to desired taste.
  6. Dish out and serve immediately with hot white rice.





I'm linking this post to  'Red Meat Feast' hosted by  MySpicyKitchen.



Labels:

Comments

  1. ICook4FunJuly 16, 2012 at 10:05 PM

    I too hardly use any palm sugar for savory dish except when I cook rendang as I like darker color for the rendang. I like the idea of adding it to braised pork.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJuly 18, 2012 at 11:36 AM

      Maybe you should try and see whether you like it.

      Delete
  2. JeannieJuly 16, 2012 at 11:53 PM

    That dish of yours looks delicious, using palm sugar is a good idea, can substitute for the sugar and dark soya that I usually use to get the dark shade.

    ReplyDelete
  3. shazJuly 17, 2012 at 12:51 AM

    Mmmm...you said the magic word, pork belly! I am sure it tastes as good as it looks :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. My Little SpaceJuly 17, 2012 at 7:32 AM

    My goodness, just look at those fat! My girlfriend would love it. haha....
    Kristy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJuly 18, 2012 at 11:38 AM

      I won't take the fat, will discard it but if the meat is too lean, it'll be tough.

      Delete
  5. PHJuly 17, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    Whoa! That looks really good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. KimmyJuly 17, 2012 at 10:37 AM

    Cheah, I would love to try this dish after trying your Tangy Pork Belly and BBQ Spare ribs which are really good. Again I must say I also like the ways you cook meat [I don't like to deep fry meat then adding the sauce].

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJuly 18, 2012 at 11:41 AM

      Thank you for trying out my recipes, Kimmy. So glad to hear that you like them. I never like to deep-fry food, too much oil and need to clean up the greasy kitchen. I go for fuss-free cooking, slow braising or steaming, that's
      my style.

      Delete
  7. Mich - Piece of CakeJuly 17, 2012 at 10:40 AM

    I can imagine how tasty this is with a bowl of rice! I think I will try this with chicken as my family prefers chicken more.

    ReplyDelete
  8. kitchen flavoursJuly 17, 2012 at 11:11 AM

    Looks so delicious! Pork Belly is one of my guilty pleasures! Oh the calories, but double 'oh' for the deliciousness! I could eat two bowls of rice with just this one dish, very dangerous-loh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJuly 18, 2012 at 11:43 AM

      My family loves pork belly but will always discard the fat. Two bowls of rice, huh....mmmm

      Delete
  9. AmeliaJuly 18, 2012 at 11:58 AM

    Hi Cheah, your braised pork look delicious and so appetizing can I have extra rice? LOL

    Have a nice day, regards.

    ReplyDelete
  10. 3 hungry tummiesJuly 18, 2012 at 4:10 PM

    It's a must try!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Angie's RecipesJuly 18, 2012 at 9:30 PM

    This is so delicious! I need to get some more palm sugar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJuly 26, 2012 at 10:03 AM

      I was delighted with the result, rarely use palm sugar in dishes.

      Delete
  12. lenaJuly 19, 2012 at 11:50 PM

    i only tried making char siew with gula melaka but not this kind with tamarind and tou cheong, i want to try!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak LoverJuly 26, 2012 at 8:15 AM

    This sound very similar like Nyonya dish Babi pongteh, yummy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJuly 26, 2012 at 10:04 AM

      I haven't tried the authentic pongteh dish, must try it in Malacca!

      Delete
  14. UshaJuly 31, 2012 at 9:11 PM

    Looks delicious.. I never cooked pork belly at home. Thanks for sharing the recipe and linking it to Red Meats event.

    ReplyDelete
  15. KimmyDecember 21, 2013 at 3:23 PM

    Hi Cheah, finally I cooked this dish. Taste wise and method of cooking are what I like. I braised for 45 minutes and the meat is tender yet chewy. Very nice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahDecember 21, 2013 at 3:41 PM

      Hi Kimmy.... thanks for trying out this recipe. Glad you like it!

      Delete

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