FOODlog #76: Tau Yu Bak (Braised Pork in Soy Sauce)

Last week my Mum cooked one of my favorite Nyonya cuisine dishes called 'Tau Yu Bak' which in English its basically Braised Pork in Soy Sauce. Nyonya cuisine is a fusion cuisine and is known for lotsa a blend of spices and herbs that make the cuisine unique.

This dish is fairly easy to make and all you'll need is pork belly, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce (optional), garlic, five spice powder, and eggs.

This dish is fairly easy to make and all you'll need is pork belly, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce (optional), garlic, five spice powder, and eggs.

For the pork belly, it's marinated with soy sauce for the umami and saltiness, dark soy sauce for it's sweet and caramel-like flavor as well as color, oyster sauce which is optional, and finally five spice powder which gives this dish it's unique aroma and fragrance as well as flavor.

Add these ingredients into a wok or pot with some oil and simply stir fry them for a couple of minutes. After that add water and a bulb of garlic which you don't even have to peel it if you're lazy to. Bring it up to a boil and then turn lower the heat to braise for about an hour or so until the pork belly is tender. Stir from time to time and taste if it needs more seasoning, you can add the same mixture of the marinade to the pot and continue to cook.

In another pot, make some hardboiled eggs and peel them. After which, add it to the pork stew for the final 15 minutes and the eggs will be nicely coated with the delicious dark brown savory sauce.

This dish is wonderful to eat when paired with white rice and some 'sambal belacan' which is fresh chili that's been blended and mixed with dried shrimp paste. Add some lime at the end and the chili sauce is done. Serve this and eat together with this pork stew dish for and absolutely delicious and satisfying meal.

For the pork belly, it's marinated with soy sauce for the umami and saltiness, dark soy sauce for it's sweet and caramel-like flavor as well as color, oyster sauce which is optional, and finally five spice powder which gives this dish it's unique aroma and fragrance as well as flavor.

Add these ingredients into a wok or pot with some oil and simply stir fry them for a couple of minutes. After that add water and a bulb of garlic which you don't even have to peel it if you're lazy to. Bring it up to a boil and then turn lower the heat to braise for about an hour or so until the pork belly is tender. Stir from time to time and taste if it needs more seasoning, you can add the same mixture of the marinade to the pot and continue to cook.

In another pot, make some hardboiled eggs and peel them. After which, add it to the pork stew for the final 15 minutes and the eggs will be nicely coated with the delicious dark brown savory sauce.

This dish is wonderful to eat when paired with white rice and some 'sambal belacan' which is fresh chili that's been blended and mixed with dried shrimp paste. Add some lime at the end and the chili sauce is done. Serve this and eat together with this pork stew dish for and absolutely delicious and satisfying meal.