Babi Asam, Braised Pork Belly In Tamarind Sauce - "Malaysian Monday 34"

We have been having Malaysian meals for the last few nights and this is another delicious nyonya dish with tamarind being the main ingredient used. The delicious tart sauce cuts through the rich and meltingly tender pork belly beautifully, a perfect dish for our chilly autumn evening. Tummy was a little suspicious of this rather ordinary looking dish at first but was  soon returned with a second serving of rice - what a great relief! I hope you will be game enough to give this wonderful dish a try. 

serves 4 as part of a Malaysian dish

you'll need;

1 kg of pork belly, cut into large chunks

2 tbs of peanut oil

8 candlenuts

6 shallots, chopped

1 tbs of shrimp paste

4 tbs of sugar

2 tbs of preserved soya bean paste

3/4 cup of instant tamarind paste

1/2 cup of chicken stock

6 green chillies, halved lengthwise

6 red chillies, halved lengthwise

Pound candlenut, shallots and shrimp paste to a fine paste, set aside.

Cut chillies lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Cut pork belly into large chunks.

Saute prepared paste with 2 tbs of cooking oil until fragrant (~5 minutes).

Add sugar and preserved soya bean paste and continue to cook for a minute or two. Chuck pork into the pan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes before adding stock and tamarind paste.

Add chillies and mix well. Simmer with cover on until pork is very tender (1 ~ 1.5 hours). Check for seasonings before serving, it should be sour, sweet and salty.

Serve as part of a Malaysian meal, you will need plenty of steamed rice with this dish.

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