Steamed Pork with Pumpkin and Yam Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

This is a variation of Hakka dish with assemblage of sliced pre-fried pork belly, yam and pumpkin that are steamed in a full-bodied gravy sweetened by sugar and shaoxing wine and balanced by a savory counterpoint of fermented red beancurd (南乳) and fermented soy bean paste (豆酱). This savory sauce thoroughly infuses all three layers of pig skin, fat and lean meat after long hours of steaming that elevates this classic to new gustatory buds.

Here's another recipe for pork belly, so my poor reader, you will just have to 'pig out' with me! The picture above may not justify how flavorsome this pork dish is, but I'll wager it's among the most delicious.

The ingredients of steamed pork with pumpkin and yam (南瓜芋头扣肉) have some resemblances with Hakka steamed pork belly with yam (客家芋头扣肉), with additional pumpkin and fermented soy bean paste, but omitting Hakka nam yee red sauce. The pork belly is gelatinously tender, reminiscent of Hakka steamed pork belly with yam. The texture of the pumpkin is cooked just to tender, soft but not beyond mushiness, in contrast to the yam, which is way too much mushy after long steaming. Both pumpkin and yam add hint of sweetness to the dish, complement well with the savoriness of pre-fried pork slices which are smothered in the bath of fermented red beancurd (南乳) and fermented soy bean paste (豆酱) sauce mixture.

So, why still waiting? Get ready to pig out with this easy steamed pork with pumpkin and yam recipe (南瓜芋头扣肉食谱).

Ingredients :
5 cups oil for deep-frying
150g yam, peeled and cut into thick slices (芋头)
150g pumpkin, peeled and cut into thick slices (南瓜)
500g pork belly (五花肉或三层肉)
1 tsp dark soy sauce (黑酱油)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (芫茜)

Seasoning :
3 cubes fermented red beancurd (南乳)
1/2 tbsp fermented soy bean paste (豆酱)
1 tbsp light soy sauce (生抽)
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
1 tsp dark soy sauce
250ml water

Method :
1.  Heat up oil for deep-frying, deep-fry yam until golden brown. Dish up and drain.

2. Rub pork belly skin with 1 tsp dark soy sauce and marinate for a short while. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish up and drain. Leave it to cool down and cut into thick slices.

3. Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok, saute chopped garlic and chopped coriander leaves until aromatic. Add in seasoning and bring to boil. Dish up.

4. Arrange pork, yam and pumpkin repeatedly in sequential order into a steaming bowl. Pour over the prepared sauce (from method 3) and steam over high heat for 1 1/2 hours or until pork belly is tender. Before serving, you may want to invert onto a serving plate lined with lettuce with sesame oil drizzled on top. To do this, place the serving plate over steaming bowl, then invert it quickly.

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How To Make Hakka Nam Yee (Fermented Red Beancurd) Red Sauce | Easy Asian Cooking

Fermented red beancurd (南乳 in Mandarin, "nam yee" in Cantonese or "ang tau ju" in Hokkien) has a distinct flavor that is often used in Hakka cuisine to impart saltiness and to assuage greasiness associated with massive consumption of multiple super fatty meats, such as Hakka steamed pork belly with yam (客家芋头扣肉) , stewed Hakka fried pork belly with black fungus (客家炸肉), nam yee spare ribs (南乳排骨), nam yee fried chicken wings (南乳炸鸡翼), fried fish in nam yee sauce (南乳酱干烧鱼) and etcera. You can find here how fermented red beancurd looks like, it's usually sold in glass jars in Asian market. Differ from typical fermented white beancurd (beancurd that have been fermented in rice wine) that goes well with porridge, fermented red beancurd made with red yeast rice (紅糟) and commonly used in cooking.

Many hawkers' stalls in Malaysia usually prepare Hakka nam yee red sauce in advance by combining fermented red beancurd with other pungent spices in order to cope with hoards of patrons with the rumbling stomachs. Similarly for home cooking, Hakka nam yee red sauce can be prepared prior to cooking Hakka cuisine, with storage period up to one month if it's kept refrigerated properly.

Variations to Hakka nam yee red sauce and cooking methods :

(i) Fried fish in nam yee sauce (南乳酱干烧鱼)

• Pan-fry fish until cooked and dish up. Heat up a dab of oil, stir fry minced meat until fragrant. Add in nam yee red sauce, water, fish and cook until the gravy thickened.

(ii) Nam yee spare ribs (南乳排骨)

• Mix spare ribs with nam yee red sauce, water and egg to marinate for three hours. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown and cooked.

Learn how to make Hakka nam yee (Fermented Red Beancurd) red sauce with below ingredients and spices, with truely simple steps providing you offer all the trimmings!

Ingredients :
8 pieces fermented red beancurd ("nam yee" 南乳)
3 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tsp chopped ginger
2 star anise (八角)
5cm long cinnamon stick (桂皮)
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
250ml water
50ml oil

Method :
1. Heat up 5 tbsp oil, saute chopped shallot and garlic until fragrant.
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and bring to boil until the sauce thicken.

After cooling down, Hakka nam yee red sauce can be kept refrigerated until one month for cooking use to create a versatile of dishes.

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