Succulent barbeque pork, marinated and basted in a rich, aromatic sauce, served with a side of chilies in soy sauce.
Muu Daeng (Barbeque Pork)
This recipe is a tribute to the irresistible allure of Chinatown’s barbequed meats, with ducks and pork tempting customers from behind sheets of glass. Mastering the Chinese method of barbequing meats takes years, and few shops will disclose their secret techniques. This recipe has been gleaned from many years of furtive glimpses into this dark, smoky world.
Ingredients
Marinade: * 4-5 spring (green) onions * 3-4 coriander roots, cleaned * 2-3 red shallots, peeled and bruised * 10-15 slices galangal, bruised * 20 slices ginger, bruised * 1 star anise * 2 cm (1 in) piece cassia bark * 2-3 cloves * 1 good pinch of five-spice powder * 1 piece dried tangerine peel - optional * 3-4 tbsp light soy sauce * 1 tbsp dark soy sauce * 2-3 tbsp Chinese rice wine * 3/4 cup white sugar * 2 tbsp fermented bean curd liquid - optional * 1 tbsp red food colouring - optional * 2 kg (4 lb) pork butt, neck or shoulder
Basting Syrup: * generous 1/4 cup maltose * 1/4 cup white sugar * 1 tbsp light soy sauce * about 1 tbsp honey * 1 tbsp hoisin sauce * dash of red food colouring - optional
Sauce for BBQ Pork and Rice: * 1 tsp sesame seeds * 1 cup light stock * good pinch of ground white pepper * good pinch of five-spice powder * ½ star anise * 2 tbsp leftover basting syrup * 2 tbsp light soy sauce * 1 tsp dark soy sauce * 2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
Chillies in Soy Sauce: * 4 tbsp dark soy sauce * 2 tbsp white vinegar * 1/4 long red chilli, finely sliced
Directions
- To make the marinade, simmer the spring onions, coriander roots, shallots, galangal and ginger in 1½ cups of water for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, separately roast the star anise, cassia and cloves in a dry, heavy-based frying pan, until lightly toasted and aromatic. Add them to the simmering stock, along with the five-spice powder and the tangerine peel, if using. Stir in the soy sauces, rice wine and sugar - and the bean curd liquid and food colouring, if using - and continue to simmer for a few minutes longer. Allow to cool.
- Trim the pork and cut it into strips about 4 cm (1½ in) wide, following the muscle structure as far as possible. Add the pork to the marinade, making sure it is completely immersed, and refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight.
- Make the basting syrup by adding the maltose and sugar to ½ cup of water in a small pan and boiling until dissolved. Stir in the soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce and red food colouring (if using), along with the star anise, cassia and cloves from the marinade, if you like, then simmer for a moment. Set aside to cool and thicken.
- Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F) and remove the pork from the marinade. If the meat is to be suspended inside the oven to cook, pierce one end of each strip with a small butcher’s hook, making sure it is securely placed so it will hold throughout the cooking. Roast the pork for 10 minutes, then remove and brush with the basting syrup for a few minutes before returning to the oven for further 5 minutes. Baste the pork again and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes. Check that the pork is cooked (it must be well done) by pressing, almost pinching it: it should feel firm and resilient. When it is cooked, take the meat out and let it cool.
- Serve with the sauce spooned over the meat and a bowl of chillies in soy sauce.
- The marinade and basting syrup can both be made well in advance.
- The maltose gives a glistening sheen and a slight crunch to the caramelised crust of the meat - try to find the darker, amber-coloured maltose, rather than the paler sort.
- Barbeque pork is rarely eaten alone. It is used in soups and noodles, but on the streets is mostly sliced across the grain and perched on top of steamed rice accompanied with cucumber, and with some dark, rich sauce spooned over the meat. A smaller bowl of chillies in soy sauce is always at the side.
- Barbeque pork will keep for several days in the refrigerator.