Thursday, October 28, 2010

Stir fry roast pork with dark soy sauce, garlic and mint leaves - Featured in Group Recipes


Roast pork is always served during a Chinese Wedding. It is most important to have a roast pig as part of the gifts for the bride. “Ju” or Pig is the sign of virginity for the bride. If the bridegroom is satisfied that his wife is a virgin, he will send her home to visit her parents with a roast pig complete with tail and ears to show his satisfaction. If not, he will break the pig’s tail and ears to announce that his wife is not a virgin. This, I do not understand. I thought we Chinese are afraid to lose face, so how could a man in those older times be willing to announce to the world that his bride is not a virgin? Go figure!

For a long time, I ate roast pork as it is, simply roasted over a spit to a crusty fat layer over the lean meat. It was my sister in law, Jeanie, who introduced me to stir frying the roasted pork with dark soy sauce, garlic and chili. I love the way she cooks it. In my opinion, this is a better way to eat it because we consume less fat which gets rendered in the frying process. Moreover, the garlic and chili add extra flavor that seem perfectly complimentary and, of course, the frying puts a lovely caramelization on the meat to add even more flavor depth. Still, as I am always tinkering with recipes, I thought of something to add that worked out well. The new ingredient - mint leaves - give this dish a whole new dimension!



Ingredients:
250 gm roast pork
2 cups mint leaves
3 tbs chopped garlic
1 tbs sugar 
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs dark soy sauce 
3 chili padi (bird chilli), finely diced

Note: (measurements of the ingredients are just a guide, you can add or lessen to your own preference)

Method:
Heat the work and add 1 tbs garlic and the roast pork. Stir fry till you see some oil in wok and add 2 more tbs of garlic. Stir fry to get more oil out of the roast pork for about 5 mins. Add dark soy sauce, soy sauce and chilly padi. Stir fry for another another 5 mins. Add sugar and mints leaves and stir fry another 5 mins. Transfer to serving plate and serve hot.

47 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing that little tidbit. Great recipe!

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  2. Lovely post; and that recipe would be very welcome at my table.

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  3. Okay so does the groom need to be a virgin too? hehe just kidding. I just love asian stories. And I also love this dish. What exactly is black sauce? Is it like a black bean sauce or something completely different?

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  4. If i eat this, normally i take away the fatty part, hehe...

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  5. Hi Anonmymous,
    Thanks for your comment and I am glad you like the recipe.

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  6. Rita,
    How are you? I am glad you like this recipe.

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  7. Swathi,
    This is a delicious dish but a very sinful one! haha

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  8. Lisa,
    To be fair, the groom should be a virgin too haha.

    Black sauce is used to add color to food and it is darker thicker than light soy sauce, Molasses is added to give it its distinctive appearance. and its flavour develops during heating. It has a richer, slightly sweeter, and less salty flavour than light soy sauce.

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  9. Hi Somewhere in Singapore,
    I don't blame you:D. Thanks for dropping by.

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  10. If the roast pork fried until crispy, that's will definitely a very addictive beer snack :P

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  11. Choi Yen,
    I agree with you. it is a very good White wine snacks too. I drink a glass of white wine every day and this goes extremely well with it. However I must be careful for this is a truly sinful dish! haha

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  12. Interesting you combine the roast pork with mint leaves. Maybe the mint leaves freshens the breath after eating the "gamey" roast pork. ;p

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  13. Hey tigerfish,
    Yes, you are right, the mint leaves does leave a nice after-taste.

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  14. Interesting backstory to roast pork. After growing up in NYC (so not Asia) I will confess that I ahve yet to have the amazing roast pork I found in Chinatown. My entire fammily missed it greatly. (and still do)

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  15. Claudia,
    Isn't there a Chinese market in MN? If you are staying nearby, I will definitely cook this dish for you and your family.

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  16. Hi Quay Po, you have such a cute name, hehehe. Thanks for stopping by my blog, you have a wonderful blog too. You added mint leaves to this home cook dish, sound so refreshing!

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  17. it looks delicious! I love the taste of pork with soy sauce! :D

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  18. Hi eatgreek,
    Actually soy sauce add flavors to a all kinds of meat.

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  19. Hello 'Key' to your Hubby's heart and tummy. LOL.
    I can really appreciate your style of cooking and you'll serve as great inspiration for my Asian-style cuisine too.

    Thank you for your visit on my culinary journey ;o)

    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

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  20. Hi Claudia,
    Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and leave such kind words:D Look forward to your visits again and again.

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  21. This looks really good. My mom does something similar, minus the chilies.

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  22. This looks super yummy. I have a ew black sauce I picked up the other day that I have got to try and this may be the perfect start for that :)

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  23. Brien,

    It is perfectly okay without the chilli..but being a chilli head, I will put chilli in almost anything. I got to have a small plate of chilli padi to go with my food everyday.

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  24. Kita,
    After you cook the dish, let me know how you like it.

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  25. I have mint plant at home and I would to cook roast pork with mint leaves too! Sound delicious ;))

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  26. Ann,
    I have mint plant in my garden too. I just had mint leave and egg soup for tonight's dinner:D Mint leaves is one of my favorite vege.

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  27. its not quite lunch time and you have me drooling on my computer

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  28. Matt,
    Thanks for paying me a visit. Really appreciate it:D

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  29. Haven't think of using mint for garnishing other than in tomyam and spicy soup.
    I've lots of them in my garden and just have some left over roast pork leg, good to use up for this recipe.
    Thanks for giving another new idea.

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  30. I am literally, drooling. Hahahahahaa I LOVE PORK! :p

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  31. Yin,
    You are most welcome:D It is a wise thing to do to have mint plant in the garden. This is such a versatile vege that can go with many dishes and they enhance the flavor.

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  32. Kim,

    Don't drool, one of these days, I will cook and then call you to dinner:D

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  33. Nice looking stir fry! If only the stir fry dishes I order in the restaurants looked this good! Never!!

    Interesting story. I have some of those virgin stories from Turkey as well. Just makes me shake my head in disbelief!

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  34. IIke,

    Would love to hear those virgin story from Turkey! Let me join you shake our heads in disbelief haha..

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  35. I cant find chili padi at my local stores. Is there a reasonable substitute?

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  36. Kita,

    Thanks for your visit. Any other kind of hot chilli can be a substitute.

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  37. I know there will be roast pig on the wedding day but not sure the significant of it. It is nice to know. I mom always cook the leftover roast pork this way. Lots of garlic, black soy sauce and some sugar.

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  38. Your dishes are always so inspiring and your stories to go along with your posts always pique my interest. Love your photos too. This dish looks and sounds fabulous.

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  39. Little corner of mine, ICook4Fun: Do try adding mint leaves to the traditional way of cooking this. It taste really good!

    Bridgett: Many thanks for your comments and your frequent visits. They always make my day!

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  40. Oh...add mint laves? I LOOOOOOVE mint leaves...am so going to try this new variation, big thanks Veron.

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    Replies
    1. Esther, you are most welcome. Me too, I am a big fan of mint leaves.

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  41. Wow... my favorite too. I like to add lots of garlic too and chilli padi!

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