The bowl of succulent meat is hot and fragrant. When eaten, the meat melts in the mouth, blending with many attractive sweet, soft and fatty flavors. This is a specialty of the Lang Son people during Tet.
Ingredient
( ten )
- 500 grams of pork belly, cut into square pieces
- 100 grams of Chinese cabbage (cai men)
- 50 grams of stinky tofu
- 25g soy protein
- 25 grams of dried macadamia nuts
- 5 shiitake mushrooms
- 1 ear of wood ear
- Spices: Ginger wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, honey, pepper, cornstarch, vinegar, garlic, chili
- Star anise, ginger, and cinnamon pieces to boil the meat during preparation
- Cooking oil
Making
- Choosing meat: To have a delicious meat dish, you need to choose fresh meat with signs such as: Natural bright pink meat, lean and fat fibers interwoven in one piece, good elasticity when pressed by hand. Cut the purchased meat into square pieces, shave off the hair, rub with lemon and salt, wash and drain.
- Boil the meat: Put the pork belly in a pot of water, add ginger, cinnamon, star anise and a little salt and boil over low heat for 20-25 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Using a skewer, it can easily be inserted into the skin.
- Prick the skin: Use a bamboo skewer or fork, a specialized tool to prick the skin evenly to help it puff up nicely when fried and absorb more seasoning when marinating. The more evenly and carefully you apply the needle, the tastier it will be. After lighting, rub a little salt and spread a little vinegar on the skin to make it crispier when fried. Let it dry for a while until the meat is dry and the surface is dry.
- Fry the meat: Use a deep pan or high-sided pot, heat the cooking oil, when the tip of the chopsticks bubbles, then add the meat and fry, leaving the skin below the pan. When frying, cover the lid and do not turn it over or open the lid as the oil may splash. When the skin is slightly swollen and yellow, take the meat out and immerse it immediately in a bowl of cold water so that the meat cools down and the skin becomes crispy without becoming hard, making slicing easier. Use a sharp knife to cut the meat into 5-6 thin slices that are bite-sized but still stick to the lean part below. Place the meat in a large bowl, placing the skin on the bottom of the bowl.
- Prepare the filling for the dish: An indispensable ingredient and characteristic of the dish in Lang Son is salted tofu (cai men) of the Tay and Nung ethnic people. Because this cabbage is quite salty, it needs to be soaked in warm water mixed with a little salt to soften and reduce the salty taste. Then, squeeze out the water, rinse several times and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- The spices that make up the aroma and flavor of Lang Son dish are quite familiar to the people here such as crushed dried macadamia nuts, soy sauce, shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms, soaked, washed and chopped, and stinky tofu.
- Stir-fry the filling: Fry onions and garlic, then add shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms and 50 grams of stinky tofu, 25 grams of soy protein, 25 grams of dried macadamia nuts, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Ginger wine, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon white pepper, stir well. Add the mustard greens and stir-fry until the mixture is well combined.
- Covering the filling and marinating the meat: Pour the filling and sauce over the bowl of meat, use a flat spoon to spread evenly, and compact slightly. Leave to marinate for about 30 minutes for the meat to absorb the spices.
- Braise the meat: Place the bowl of meat in a steaming basket over medium low heat for 3 – 4 hours until the meat is tender. Lift out the bowl of meat, pour out the sauce in the bowl and put it in a pan over low heat, slowly add a little tapioca starch or cornstarch mixed with water to slightly thicken. Place a deep plate on the bowl, turn the bowl upside down and you’ll have a delicious dish. Drizzle the sauce on top to add more appeal.
- Finished product requirements : Round meat bowl, whole pieces of golden brown meat covering the filling giving off a sweet aroma. When eaten, the meat seems to melt in the mouth, mixed with many sweet, soft, fatty flavors… very attractive.
Attention:
- Khau Hui, also known as Ly Khau, is a typical dish of the Tay and Nung ethnic people, often appearing on important Tet and wedding occasions.
- Cauliflower originated from China, but when it came to Vietnam, through the hands and creativity of Lang Son people, it was transformed and became a unique specialty, loved by many people.
- The secret to making this delicious dish is meticulous attention to detail, from choosing fresh ingredients to seasoning appropriately and being careful in each step of cooking – boiling – frying – stewing the meat.
- Mustard greens are quite salty, so to quickly de-salt them, soak them in warm water mixed with a little salt. At this time, the high salt concentration (hypertonic) in the mustard greens will move to an environment with a less salty salt concentration (hypotonic) to achieve isotonicity (equal saltiness). After soaking, wringing out and washing several times will significantly reduce the salty taste.