Braised Pork With Radish

This is yet another very tasty dish that is SO easy to whip up. Trust me when I say that it is easy. Once you have all the ingredients, this dish is a total child's play. Even Drama Queen can be trained to whip this out on her own. No need recipe even.

Note - you can replace the pork with beef belly (ngau lam)




Ingredients:
1) Pork belly, pork shoulder loin or even pork ribs. I used pork shoulder loin.  I buy only Berkcious pork now, which is free from antibiotics and growth hormones.

2) 1 whole large radish - you can add more if you like your dish with more radish. I love radish, thus I added a real large radish.

3) Chopped garlic

4) 1 packet of spices consisting of cardamon pods, star anise, pepper corns, cloves and cinnamon sticks.  You can get this from the herbs, spices and dried food stuff section of the supermarket and sundry shop. It only costs a few Ringgit. You can also use this packet of spices for making sup kambing and sup lembu, a popular Malay soup.

5) Soy sauce - I used organic shoyu sauce.

6) Dark / thick soy sauce - I used natural dark soy sauce bought from the organic shop. It is free from coloring, MSG and preservatives.

7) Sugar - I used ground palm sugar, which is lower in GI vs regular sugar.

8) A bunch of coriander leaves

9) Eggs (hard boiled), mushrooms, firm tofu are all optional sides to be added

Sorry, no measurements for all the seasoning as it is up to your liking. I like my broth strong in aroma / taste yet mild in saltiness and sweetness.









Below - picture of pig shoulder loin. This is my favorite part of the piggy. I like the marble effects on the meat. The slight fat all around the meat gives the meat a tender texture. It is not too lean, yet not too fat.  I use this part of the pig for pork chops, braised pork dish and to have them minced by the butcher.






Direction:

1) Saute the spices, minced garlic and pork until fragrant.





2)  Add water, radish and all the seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1.5 - 2 hours or until the meat is tender.   I like my meat really tender.

3)  Add in a bunch of coriander into the pot about half an hour before turning off the fire.  The coriander leaves impart a fragrant and appetizing lift to the dish.







Go on and try this dish. It is so easy to cook and so appetizing that even the fussiest of kid and spouse will love.  You could cook a big portion and save some for the next day. It goes well with rice and all types of noodles.