Lor Bak again

Yesterday I tried the other recipe I mentioned in my Lor Bak entry earlier. It turned out a huge success! I'll definitely make this again the next round. Even my dh who's rather reluctant to eat this "fatty" dish had a few rounds...lol...

The original recipe by Julia did not specify the amount for each ingredients, so I just used my "agaration" (i.e. estimation). My portion of ingredients is as follows

Ingredients
6-7 stalks lemon grass
1 medium piece galangal (blue ginger)
7-8 cloves garlic
1 bowl finely sliced shallots/red onions
4-5 tbls sugar (original recipe calls for brown sugar, I just used normal sugar)
1 tbl light soy sauce
2 tbl dark soy sauce
1 bowl water
vegetable oil
pork belly, scalded in hot water

Method
1. Fry the lemon grass, galangal, onion and garlic until the onions are soft. (I fried until the onions turn a little yellow, but not brown yet. The fragrance can really knocks you down!)
2. Scoop out any extra oil (if needed) before adding the pork belly and mixing it with the aromatics.
3. Sprinkle the sugar generously over the pork and let the sugar melt.
4. When the sugar has melted, add the light and dark soy sauce. Add just enough water to cover half of the pork. (Note: Too much water will not result in a rich and thick sauce.)
5. Taste the sauce when it boils and adjust the sugar or soy sauce accordingly to suit your taste. (Mine tasted a little sweet.) Cover and braise the meat over low heat for an hour, turning the meat 2-3 times in the process.
6. Sliced the pork belly into smaller pieces after cooled before serving.


This dish has a strong aroma that is sure to spice up your meal. The skin of the pork belly is chewy (not soft and fatty) and allows you to savour it slowly. I must really give credit to Julia's mother for such a fantastic dish!

Mood: satisfied