Tau Yew Bak (Braised Pork in Soy Sauce)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Servings
2 people (with rice and other dishes)
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Calories
456 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese, Malaysian, Singaporean
Tau Yew Bak (Braised Pork in Soy Sauce)
Description
This recipe uses 250 grams of pork cut into bite-sized pieces, commonly pork shoulder or a mix of shoulder and pork belly for balanced fat and lean. The meat is marinated briefly with light and dark soy sauces, sugar, and five spice powder to infuse flavor. Stir-fried garlic forms the base aroma for the dish.
The pork is browned lightly to caramelize the marinade and deepen flavor before being covered with water or pork stock and simmered for 40 to 60 minutes. The long braise softens the meat and concentrates the braising liquid into a syrupy sauce with rich umami and spice tones from the five spice and soy.
Optional additions like hard boiled eggs, tofu, cooked peanuts, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots can be added for texture variation and additional flavor layers. Rough chopped coriander leaves may be used as a fresh garnish. Sambal belacan chili serves as a spicy condiment alongside.
If whole spices like star anise and cinnamon are used, stir-frying them in the oil before cooking adds deeper aroma. Careful heat management prevents excess oiliness if using fattier cuts like pork belly.
Ingredients
- 0.55 lb pork (250g) (8.81 oz) Cut the pork into small pieces, about twice the thickness of your little finger Traditionally pork belly but I find that too oily. You can mix with pork shoulder butt for a great combination of fat and lean meat or use 100% pork butt.
- 1½ Tablespoon soy sauce light
- 1½ Tablespoon dark soy sauce If you like your food on the sweeter side, you can use kicap manis instead of dark soy sauce.
- ¼ T five spice powder Substitute: spices such as cinnamon stick, star anise and peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or to taste, white
- neutral cooking oil About 1 Tablespoon or to taste. Substitute: lard, generic cooking oil
- 1 bulb garlic peeled and minced
- water Enough to just about cover the meat in the pan. Substitute: pork stock
- salt to taste
- granulated sugar optional seasoning, to taste Substitute: rock sugar, white
- egg Optional, hard boiled egg, firm tofu, cooked peanuts, dried shiitake mushrooms, carrots
- tofu
- peanuts
- shiitake mushrooms
- carrot
- Coriander leaves Optional garnish, rough chop
- sambal belacan chili Optional
Instructions
- 15 minutes before you want to cook, add both soy sauces, the white sugar and the 5-spice powder to the pork. Mix well and leave covered on the counter to come to room temperature.
- In the meantime, mince up your garlic.
- Heat your pot over low-medium heat, then add some vegetable oil or lard. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and stir fry till fragrant. Tip: If you have whole spices such as star anise, white peppercorns and cassia cinnamon, you can crush them then add and stir fry in the oil for a more aromatic dish.
- Increase the heat to medium then add the pork and lightly brown the pieces. It should caramelise nicely thanks to the sugar and dark soy added!Note: Reduce the heat to low if using pork belly. If not, your dish will be super oily!
- Add enough water (or pork stock) to cover the pork then cover and simmer for 40-60 minutes, or till the pork is soft, cooked and you get a nice syrupy sauce. Remember to top up the water if the pan is drying out!Tip: Don't add too much water at first or you may be braising for ever. You may also need to top up some extra water if your pan gets dry.
- If including hard boiled eggs/ tofu/ carrots to bulk up the dish, add them in during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. (You can actually add the other ingredients earlier if you want their flavour to be more concentrated, however this will give you overcooked eggs with the tell-tale green rim around the powdery yolks)
- At the same time, taste and season the stew (salt and maybe more sugar- will depend on the dark soy you use) accordingly to taste then serve with a bowl of piping hot white rice.
Notes
- If using dried shiitake mushrooms, add only one or two pieces to avoid overpowering the dish's flavor.
- The nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated; verify as needed.
- Mix pork shoulder with pork belly for a balance of lean and fat, or use shoulder alone for less oiliness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2people (with rice and other dishes)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 456 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 456kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 98g | 33% |
| Protein | 14g | 28% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 1031mg | 43% |
| Potassium | 896mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 14g | 56% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 3286IU | 66% |
| Vitamin C | 15mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 1252mg | 125% |
| Iron | 45mg | 250% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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