Braised Pork in Soya Sauce

Happy weekend!! I would like to share a dish with you so you can experiment with it this weekend.....
On cold days like this, I usually want to cook meals in the oven or slow-cooker. However, if I did not plan ahead of time, I will usually turn to my clay pot. Taking out my clay pot brings back memories of my late mom. I used to love coming home from school smelling something delicious from the kitchen. And on rainy days, I used to love seeing the clay pot on the stove because I knew that something comforting will be there for me. The dish that I'm about to share with you is a childhood favorite of mine. Not only is it comforting to the tummy, it is also very delicious. I especially love the eggs and the fried tofu puffs if you can get hold of some. Otherwise, you can use firm tofu but only add them in the last 10 minutes as they will break up easily. Also if you are not allergic to soya, this dish is also gluten-free.


Please don't be intimidated by the word "braised". It is only about an hour braising time if you use pork shoulder but. It is about half hour to 45 minutes longer if you use pork belly. Unless you go the the Chinese market, I very seldom see pork belly meat in the regular grocery stores.Pork belly meat has 3 layers, first layer is the meat, then comes the fat and last of all the skin. There is less fat of course if you choose to use pork shoulder but try not to trim off the fat. As the fat is the part that makes the dish. Also, it is full of collagen which is so good for your skin.


Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
2 lbs pork shoulder or pork belly, cut into chucks
4 slices ginger
5 cloves of garlic, lightly pounded with the back of cleaver
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of water
4 tbsp soya sauce
3 tbsp kecap manis (a sweet soya sauce) *
3 tbsp dark soya sauce
5-6 hardboiled eggs
I pkt of fried tofu puffs or firm tofu (for tofu, cut in big chunks)

Method
Heat up oil to a non-stick pan. Add garlic and ginger and fry for a minute till fragrant. Add pork and salt. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a claypot. Add water, and the 3 kinds of soya sauce. Cover and cook for 35 minutes on medium low. Stir from time to time. Add eggs and tofu puffs and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Stir a couple of times making sure the eggs are marinated in the sauce. Dish out and serve over jasmine rice.

*Kecap manis is usually available at the Chinese markets but sometimes Raleys carries them. If you really can't find some and want to try this recipe anyways, use 3 tbsp of regular soya sauce and 3 tsp of sugar (add more to your liking). Or if you have oyster sauce available, you may use 2 tbsp of oyster sauce and 2 tsp of sugar as a substitution. It will taste just as good.


Enjoy!!