This is my mom’s legacy. Only she can cook the pork like it should but I guess I am not too lousy in preparing them.
My sons insisted to have this dish almost every week because it is sweet, tasty and very easy to mix with white rice. It doesn’t involve any tedious tasks too but one has to get the taste just right. Another secret tip is to use only very good brand of dark soya sauce. So far, only two brands passed the discerning taste buds of my sons. Popo and the other one is a bald old man brands (found only in Penang).
Recipe : Dark soya sauce pork
- 300gms pork fillet (the part near the kidney which is the most tender) cut into tiny strips or thin slices
- Season with 2 tablespoonslight soya sauce, 2 tablespoons dark soya sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar and lots of pepper
Method :
Put the seasoned pork into the wok and let it simmer for a while. According to mom, this will force the juice out of the meat. Don’t ask me why, that’s what my mom taught me. Then, only add some oil, AFTER the meat is partially cooked. If you like a bit of gravy, add a little water if too dry. But it tastes better with not too much gravy.
Then, when the pork is cooked, taste and adjust accordingly. Add more dark soya sauce and sugar if it is not black enough. It has to be shiny black to taste oomph.
Experiment until you get the taste you like. I am sure this dish will be a winner at home because it enhances the taste of white rice.
14 thoughts on “Recipe : Char Siew/Dark Soya sauce pork”
ShaolinTiger
(June 22, 2006 - 4:47 pm)When I make this I like to add a little 5-spice or at least some star anise, makes it more fragrant and gives it a little kick.
Sooi2
(June 22, 2006 - 5:15 pm)oohhh…my mom can make a wicked dish of soya sauce pork too…but she added some sliced jeu-hoo for the extra oomph.
earl-ku
(June 22, 2006 - 6:02 pm)ha ST – add in a clove or two of onions too … star anise is enough, i think the 5-spice powder is too much …
tummythoz
(June 23, 2006 - 9:59 am)Without oil, won’t d seasoned meat stick to the wok?
laramommi
(June 23, 2006 - 11:32 am)My favourite dish since childhood. Also my brothers and sisters. Also nieces and nephews. All time favourite. It depends a lot on quality of black soya sauce. My mom cook it the best. I can’t seem to get it right! Nyonya restaurant Dragon King do it well too.
laramommi
(June 23, 2006 - 11:33 am)My favourite dish since childhood. Also my brothers and sisters. Also nieces and nephews. All time favourite. U r rite. It depends a lot on quality of black soya sauce. My mom cook it the best. I can’t seem to get it right! Nyonya restaurant Dragon King do it well too. The added twist of star anise seems intereting. Can’t wait to try.
laramommi
(June 23, 2006 - 11:36 am)sorry accidently posted twice. 🙂 pls delete either one!
m.o.t.t
(June 25, 2006 - 7:28 pm)another good quality dark sauce is Cap Orkid. Very fragrant.
mama23beas
(June 26, 2006 - 12:16 pm)What I’m doing here, reading you non-halal food blog?
Because I read everything from you hehe…
Anyway, that story of your mom’s perut ikan is exactly like the one told by my lecturer, a professor from Penang. His mom cooked in a huge pot and distributed to neighbours too. Normally they had to wait for the perut ikan to accumulate, as her mom collected (and preserved in bottles) from nearby fishing village. Everyone got involved in preparing, potong the daun etc.
once he brought me to a Nyonya restaurant as he was eager to let me try it. Ewwww…I could not telan la, it was perut ikan that’s all I could think about but I was just too polite …think my face turned green!
littleguykitchen
(July 5, 2006 - 3:45 am)wow, i came across ur post and it’s at the bottom. it was my fav when a kid. mum would stew and use uncrushed pepper. lean n tender meat is good.
may i summarised and refer ur post, some comments n recipe at my blog?
lilian
(July 5, 2006 - 10:12 pm)littleguykitchen – Ok, go ahead, as long as there is a link back. Thanks!
littleguykitchen
(July 6, 2006 - 3:53 pm)Lilian, thank you so much. 🙂
Little Guy, Big Kitchen » Blog Archive » Dark Soya Sauce Pork
(July 6, 2006 - 4:47 pm)[…] I’m refering this in summary with permission from Food Haven. This was my favourite when I was a kid where my mum would cook occasionally. Kids love it. Tender and lean meat is adviseable. My mum would use pork oil as it’s more aroma. […]
Lena
(July 28, 2008 - 5:16 pm)Oh..i love you so much!!! browse thru ur recipe…u must be from Penang too. I miss my hometown food.