Forksticks

This dish reminds me of home. Mum used to make it frequently when we were growing up. It takes approx. 30 min and great for a lazy weekend dinner with a glass of Gewerstemeiner / Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir.

What you need:
Stuffing-
6 Large long capsicum (aka pepper) - I like a combo of green, red
500g Mince Pork or any meat of your choice
1T Mince ginger
1/2 Corn Flour
1/2 Grounded white pepper
pinch of salt
t soy sauce
1t sesame oil
4 Stalks of shallots (chopped finely)
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4 Star anise
1.5 T Soy sauce
1T Brown sugar
Water (enough to cover the capsicum)
Approx. 30 tooth picks
Some slices of ginger, chilli powder if desired

1. Mixed the stuffing well, and use your hand to really work the mixture till it's smooth and sticky.

2. Cut the capsicum 3 cm from the head carefully without changing the form (using it as the hat). Clean the cavity of the capsicum and put the stuffing in. (i find using the chopsticks is better for long reach). Making sure the hat is also stuffed.

3. After stuffing the capsicum, use the toothpicks to keep the two parts of the capsicum together. (see the pic). Continue with the rest of the 5 other capsicums.

4. Place the stuffed capsicums in a deep saucepan and pour the water until the capsicums are just submerged. Put the rest of the ingredients in - star anise, soy sauce, sugar, ginger. Lid's on. Stew for 20 min on medium heat or until the capsicum is slightly tender. 

Ready to serve, good with rice.

This dish is fantastic with slow cooker (6 hours), and it's even better after 1 or 2 days.

I generally use pork neck as it's economical and less fattening than pork shoulder. However, if you like pork crackling to serve on the side, you can remove the excess skin from pork shoulder and grill the skin separately until it's crispy as you do with roast pork.

What you need:

• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional), I use grounded Thai chilli (a bit of heat)
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 125ml (1/2 cup) lime juice
• 80ml (1/3 cup) orange juice
• 2kg boneless pork neck or pork shoulder (remove excess fat)

1. Combine everything in a bowl and marinate with the pork for at least 3 hours. I generally leave it covered in the fridge over night.

2. Put everything (including the marinate juice) into the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours, till the pork is tender. 

(Alternatively, preheat oven to 160C. Place pork and marinade in a large flameproof casserole dish. Loosely cover surface with foil. Cover with lid. Roast, turning half way through cooking and basting occasionally for 3 hours or until pork is very tender. Set aside, covered, for 30 min to rest)

3.Served the pork in pan juice with Saurkraut or Asian pickles.

Or Shredded pork & serve with tortillas or Chinese bun or rice.

The options are endless. 

This is a wonderful dish that can be prepared one day early for BBQ.

Ingredients:
Pork chops 3
Garlic 3 cloves (Finely chopped)
Ground five spice 1t
Sugar 1T
Soy sauce 2.5t
Egg 1
Tapioca starch 1 cup (can substitute with bread crumbs and flour instead)
Vegetable or peanut oil 1.5 cup

1. Marinate the pork chops with soy sauce, garlic, Five spice powder, sugar. 
2. Cover in a bowl or container and leave in the fridge over night. (or a few hours)
3. Beat the egg and place in a deep platel.
4. Place the tapioca powder in a deep plate separately.
5. Use a toothpick and prick the pork chop (for easy frying and better presentation so it doesn't curl up)
6. Heat the fry-pan with oil; dip the pork chop lightly into the tapioca starch (flour) then straight into the egg and back to tapioca starch (bread crumbs) for the 2nd coating.
7. Fry the pork chop for 2 min on one side and flip over to the 2nd side for another 4 min. (depends on how thick the pork is)
8. Put it aside to drain the oil.
9. Serve with salad, rice or enjoy as it is.

* You can pan fry the pork chop without the tapioca starch. Simply omit the egg and starch. 

1. Prepare the meat into 0.2 cm slices & have taro cut into small cubes
2. Mix all the ingredients with the marinate sauce for at least 10 min
3. Pack point 2 into a bowl tightly
4. A rice cooker can be used to steam the dish by adding 3 bowls of water / or you can use the traditional steamer. (roughly 30 min, or till the meat's cooked thoroughly)
5. Decorate with some extra shallots or coriander. Done

500g minced pork
1 egg
1 T cornstarch
1 T minced fresh ginger root
1 T soy sauce
1 T sugar
2 t sesame oil
2 T shallots, white parts only, chopped finely
2 T water chestnut (from the can), diced
1 bunch Wong-Bok (napa cabbage), cored and cut into chunks
1 Litre chicken stock
1 bunch corriander, roughly chopped for serving

Pre-fry dipping sauce:
3 T soy sauce
2 t sugar

Directions:
1. Mix all dry ingredients together (pork, ginger, shallots, water chestnut, sugar). Then add soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, cornstarch.
2. Pour chicken stock and water in to a deep soup pot. Put half amount of the cabbage into the soup till its boiled and turn it on to low heat.
3. Shape the meat mix into 5 cm meat balls (or any desirable sizes). Throw them around a bit between your hands like you do when making hamburgers to tenderise the meat.
Heat up a separate fry pan with a bit of oil, coat the meat balls with Pre-fry dipping sauce, and fry the meat balls one by one.
4. Simply seal the meatballs till it’s 20% cooked. Then transfer the meatballs to the boiled soup stock. When all the meatballs are in the pot, cover them with the rest of the cabbage.
5. Put a lid on the soup pot, leave a bit of breathing gap only.
6. When the meatballs & cabbage are fully cooked, approx. 20 min. Serve them with corrianders.

It is a soup version thus it’s really good with vermicelli or noodle.