Name: Steamed Pork and Taro
Yield: Makes 4 servings as a main dish or 6 to 8 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Malaysian Hakka
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (shaoxing) or dry sherry; 2 or 3 large iceberg lettuce leaves, for garnish; 8 ounces boneless pork butt, trimmed of fat, or additional boneless pork belly with skin; ½ teaspoon five-spice powder; 1 pound large taro or russet potatoes; 2 or 3 squares red fermented bean curd (about 2 ounces total); 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 8 ounces boneless pork belly with skin; 2 tablespoons minced onion; 1 teaspoon raw sugar or packed brown sugar; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings as a main dish

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Hakka Cookbook

By Linda Anusasananan

Published 2012

About

Fermented bean curd enriches potato-like taro and succulent pork with a deep umami flavor akin to Japanese miso. Loh uses both pork belly and pork butt in this steamed dish, but many use only the belly. Russet potatoes make a good substitute for the taro in this dish, if taro is unavailable.

Ingredients

Pork and Taro

8 ounces boneless pork belly with skin
8 ounces boneless pork butt, trimmed of fat, or additional boneless pork belly

Method

For the Pork and Taro

Cut the pork belly across the grain into 2-inch-long strips, then lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Cut the pork butt into ¾-inch cubes. Wearing rubber gloves or under running water, peel the taro and cut into slices ½ inch thick, 2 inches long, and 2 inches wide.
Set a