Name: Kecap Manis–Braised Pork (Babi Kecap)
Yield: Makes 6 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 4 (¼-inch/6-mm) slices fresh ginger; 1 small yellow onion, sliced; 8 Asian shallots or 4 European shallots, sliced; 2 lb (1 kg) skinless, boneless pork belly and/or pork shoulder, cut into 1 × 2-inch (2.5 × 5-cm) pieces; 2 teaspoons fine sea salt; 2 teaspoons ground white or black pepper; 4 cloves garlic, sliced; ½ cup (120 ml) kecap manis, divided; 1 lb (450 g) yellow gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) cubes; 2½ cups (600 ml) water; Fried shallots for garnish; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation info

Makes
6
servings as part of a multicourse meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

Like many Indonesian dishes, babi kecap is a dish of many influences. At the crossroads of semur and Chinese red-cooked pork, this pork belly dish uses kecap manis as a dominant flavoring, along with fresh ginger.

Ingredients

2 lb (1 kg) skinless, boneless pork belly and/or pork shoulder, cut into 1 × 2-inch (2.5 × 5-cm) pieces

Method

Marinate the pork with ¼ cup (60 ml) of kecap manis and the white pepper in a large mixing bowl for about 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and fry until fragrant and wilted, about 1 minute. Add the pork and stir and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, sugar, water, and remaining ¼ c