Kong Bak Pau

The secret to a good kong bak is the dark soya sauce.  It should be very dark and thick.  I use the sauce from our homegrown Kwong Woh Hing.  It is more expensive than the usual brands but worth it.

Ingredients

2 kg indonesian pork belly

200gms gula malacca

1 tablespoon five spice powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 bottle of KWH dark soya sauce

1 pkt of stewing spices (contains cinnamon bark, cloves and aniseed)

10 pcs garlic with skin

Method

Blanch pork belly in boiling water for 5 mins

Wash under tap and wipe dry

Cut into 1/4 inch thickness

Marinate with five spice powder, salt and a little dark sauce

for about 20 mins

Heat pan and 1tbsp cooking oil

Pan fry pork slices on high heat on both sides. (this is to extract the oil from the pork fat)

Boil half a pot of water in stew pot, add in gula malacca, 1/4 bottle of dark soya sauce, garlic, spice packet and then the pork belly

Cook on medium fire till meat is tender. Test with a fork.

Remember to stir the bottom of pot to prevent sticking.

If liquid is reduced, add more water

Add a bit of salt if required.

I prefer to buy the buns from supermarkets as they keep them in the chillers.  The ones from wet market are not fresh