Boiled white meat with spicy chili oil

 

Every time a festival is celebrated, this dish of boiled white meat (pork belly) must be prepared for worship. After the worship, the boiled white meat will be sliced, and then dipped in soy sauce with chilli to serve with rice. I used to grab the white meat with my hands when I was little, dunk it in soy sauce with chilli, and then eat it. It is fascinating and nostalgic to reflect on childhood recollections.

Eating in the same way all the time gets boring. Therefore, I'm sharing a special condiment today that I made with hot chilli oil. When preparing it, bring the cooking oil to a boil before adding it to the dried chilli powder. Add a bit to the food; it will taste hot but very satisfying. It has a lengthy shelf life.

There is no seasoning that compares to this hot chilli oil always possesses. Just add a spoonful of it to the food, no matter how much there is, whether it is meat or vegetarian, steamed buns, or noodles. It becomes appetizing and satisfying, more enjoyable than fish and meat. I enjoy making extra chilli oil. You'll want to pour it on everything once you get hooked.

To make the sauce for the boiled white meat is simple and straight forward. Adding garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, and oyster sauce to the chili oil will kick up the level of the sauce.

The meat must be thinly cut for this meal. The thinner the meat slices, the better the taste and the easier it is to eat. The cooked pork belly can also be placed in the refrigerator for a bit to help the sliced meat hold its shape and prevent breaking. My knife skills aren't great, but as long as you can master the sauce's flavour, your dishes won't let you down.

Cucumber slices that had been thinly grated were served with this white meat. This will not only give the food a lovely presentation but also a flavour that is light and non-greasy.

INGREDIENTS (Chili oil)

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp chili flakes

2 tbsp white sesame seeds

1 cup cooking oil

½ tsp sugar

10 g scallion (white part)

20g sliced ginger

3 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick (5 cm long)

2-star anise

1 stalk of coriander leaves

 

METHOD

1. Combine chili powder, chili flakes, sesame seeds in a heatproof bowl.

2. Combine the scallion, sliced ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, and coriander leaves in a saucepan. Pour 1 cup of cooking oil into the saucepan. Heat up the oil, turn to low heat once the oil starts bubbling. When the ginger starts to wither and turns golden brown, immediately turn off the heat.

3. Carefully pour oil into the bowl of mixed spices. The oil will bubble for a few seconds and cook the spices. While the oil is bubbling, use a metal spoon to stir gently to mix the spices, so they will cook thoroughly.

4. The oil is now ready to use. Its flovour will mature if you let it rest for a day, allowing the spices to infuse into the oil.

 

INGREDIENTS

(Boiled white meat)

900g pork belly

2 tsp salt

1 cucumber, slice with vegetable peeler

 

(sauce)

2 tbsp chili oil

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp vinegar

Salt and sugar to taste

 

METHOD

1. Place the thoroughly cleaned pork belly in a pot with just enough water to cover it. Cover the pot after adding salt to the water. Over high heat, bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the mixture until it is cooked. Take it out of the saucepan and let it cool. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for one hour. When you cut it, it won't stick to the knife, making it simple to make thin, even slices.

2. Combine all the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

3. To make cucumber ribbons, carefully slice the cucumber into long, thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Turn the cucumber over and repeat on the other sides once you've reached the seeds. 

4. Take the meat out of the freezer and slice it as thinly as you can. Take a slice of cucumber, wrap it with a slice of cooked white meat, fold it and put it on the plate.  Enjoy it by dipping it into the sauce or by drizzling it on the meat.