A good weekend with Pak Yaw Chee Yoke to end it all.

Weekends are meant for relaxing and catching up with household chores at the same time - this has been a very good weekend for me.  Due in part to the extra public holiday we had on Friday - creating a long weekend.  We had lunch with my in-laws at New Paris in SS2 to celebrate my father-in-law's 71st birthday, and it was good to catch up with my cheery sister-in-law who fears nothing and no one.  This is one lady whom you should never cross but who is an absolute doll when it comes to helping others.

As for the lunch at New Paris, it was only so-so. I had expected better since it has a good reputation for serving great Chinese food.  But it could have been the dishes we ordered that did not seem to gel or it could have been the fact that my palate had been affected by my recovering tastebuds from the cold I had.  Oh well, lunch was nothing to shout about anyway.  Despite what my hubby thought.

Did some grocery shopping this morning and  have decided to make some braised pork now for dinner.  This pork dish is a favourite of the clan - the matriarch of the clan, who passed away a few months ago, had shared with me her simple recipe of 'Pak Yaw Chee Yoke'.  But don't dismiss it as it is great with white rice.  Add chinese mushrooms and even hard-boiled eggs if you wish to bulk it up even more.  For me, the simplicity of the dish speaks for itself.

Pak Yaw Chee Yoke (Tau Yeu Bak)

                                            At the beginning ... (note the garlic)

                                      After an hour of simmering... (garlic is now soft, nearly mushy)

                                           After nearly two hours of simmering...

                                            The finished dish - fit for a good family meal!

Ingredients:
Streaky pork (Sam chaang) - 3 long strips cut into bite sized pieces
Garlic - one chinese rice bowl of peeled garlic - don't chop/mince
water - enough to cover the pork in the pot
Soya sauce - about half a chinese bowl
a few drops of dark soya sauce, to taste
Half a teaspoon of sugar - add after an hour of simmering


Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce flame to simmer.
Stir occasionally.
Add sugar after an hour.
The garlic will add to the flavour of the gravy as it dissolves and thickens it.
Once a layer of oil forms on the surface and the pork is tender, turn off flame.
Voila! That's it - no frying and splattering of oil everywhere in the kitchen.
Enjoy!