SINGAPORE / MALAYSIA (PERANAKAN)
Slow braising is my favourite way to prepare pork belly. I do miss the crispy crackling, but in return, I get pork that’s so juicy and tender it melts straight in my mouth. Babi assam is a Peranakan slow-braised pork belly classic. Similar to how the British like to pair apples with pork, the Peranakans use sweet tangy tamarind here to help counter the richness of this fattier cut.
- 6–10 dried chillies
- 3 tablespoons tamarind pulp
- 750g pork belly
- 3 tablespoons groundnut oil
- 2 cubes of fermented beancurd
- 2–3 tablespoons unrefined brown sugar, or to taste
- sea salt, to taste
- 15 shallots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, sliced
- a 2.5cm piece of ginger
- a 1cm piece of belachan (shrimp paste), toasted
- sliced green chillies
- fresh coriander
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- Put the dried chillies into a sieve. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, snip them and shake the sieve vigorously to remove most of the chilli seeds. Soak in warm water for 20 minutes, until soft, then drain and discard the water. In a separate bowl, soak the tamarind in 150ml of hot water for 15 minutes, until softened. Massage and squeeze to get the juices from the pulp, then discard the pulp.
- Meanwhile, wash the pork belly and cut it crosswise into 2.5cm chunks.
- Roughly chop the shallots, garlic, lemongrass and ginger so that they are easier to pound or blend. Pound or blend them with the rehydrated chillies and toasted belachan until you get a smooth paste.
- Heat a large heavy-based pot or wok over a medium heat and add the groundnut oil. When the oil is hot, fry the spice paste for 10 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Add the fermented beancurd and fry for another minute.
- Stir in the pork belly and fry it for about 5 minutes, until golden on the surface and evenly coated with the spice paste.
- Add the watery tamarind paste, sugar, and a big pinch of salt, along with enough water to cover the pork. Cover and reduce the heat to low, then simmer gently for 3 hours, or until the pork is meltingly tender. Stir the dish occasionally and top up with water if it’s starting to dry up. Once cooked, taste and season with extra salt and sugar if necessary.
- This dish really benefits from being made a day or two in advance. When ready to serve, bring the stew back up to the boil and serve warm, with a sprinkle of sliced green chillies and coriander.