Asian Slow Cooked Cabbage

This dish has been my favourite of all time and I am not sure that this is a Chinese or Thai dish. So, let’s call it an Asian dish. It’s very simple to make. I learned how to make this dish from my father because I like it so much and sometimes I feel like having it every week. I start by wedging the cabbage then cleaning and draining all the water out. Let it sit aside. I used a medium to large pot (depending on the size of cabbage). I let the pork ribs lay on the bottom and then I minced garlic ( roughly 2-3 cloves), and added freshly grounded black pepper. Add the cabbage that sits on the side on top of everything. The last part is mushroom soy sauce. Put the lid on with the low heat. Let it cook with the lid on for 60 – 90 minutes (varies by the amount of cabbage and pork ribs). After 45 minutes, the juice will start to come out and the cabbage will reduce down to half size. Don’t leave the heat on too long because the juice will dry out and make everything burn. Serve it over rice and it’s great for any meal.

Kao Moo Dang (Roasted Pork with Rice)

I saw roast pork seasoning from the corner of my eyes in a supermarket last weekend and I figured that I should attempt to make it. I mixed the seasoning with water and cracked black pepper and added pork loin and pork ribs. I let it sit overnight even though 2-3 hours is enough. I roasted the pork loin and ribs at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. I boiled the seasoning mixture by adding 1/2 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of light packed brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce. I only kept the clear part of the sauce after boiling and brought it to boil again. I then added a mixture of tapioca flour and water into the sauce to create a gravy texture. Finish with black or white sesame for a touch in the sauce.

Slice the pork after letting it sit for 5-7 minutes and put it over rice. Pour sauce that I have already made over the pork. Woohoo.. easier than I thought! I have to thank the makers of the seasoning package to satisfy my craving.

Bitter Melon Soup

I was so excited when I saw bitter melon in Chinatown. I automatically grasped it and told my husband that I will make it for dinner. He had no idea what it was but it certainly frightened him. I have been eating bitter melon since childhood and I know that it won’t be extremely bitter if I make it myself. I used pork ribs to be my soup base and added soaked shitake mushrooms, frutus lychi, five cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. While I am waiting for the soup to start boiling, I clean the bitter melon by cutting it in half and scraping the inside by spoon. Rinse it again and chop into three inch length pieces. Put them in the soup that start boiling and lower the heat. Let it simmer for 3-4 hours and splash with soy sauce before serving. The bitter melon helps balance the heat in the body. Eating bitter melon a week, keeps the doctor away. Any South-Asian will tell you this.