Char Siew II

I found this recipe from Lily Ng's website, it looks so tempting. So I decided to try it and it just out fantastic! I love Char Siew with a little bit of fat.
I have to say-Lily, thanks for sharing your great recipes and you are definately a great cook!

I do not have garlic powder, so I used fresh chopped garlic. I did add some red colouring(prefer my char siew a bit reddish colour).

Here are the recipes:
Ingredients:
1kg Pork belly, cut into 2 inches strips

Marinade:
5 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp Fresh garlic, chopped
4 tsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Shao Xing Rice wine
1 tsp Five spice powder
1/4 Salt
1/2 tsp Red colouring(optional)
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oil

Method:
1. Marinade pork with all the ingredients for 2 hours or overnight.

2. Cook pork together with the marinade in a wok for 30-45mins(You may add some  water from time to time) until the gravy thickens Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

3. Preheat oven to 250c, grill the pork until it is charred(not burnt), 3-5 mins each side turn to the other side for even grilling.
4. Deep the pork into the gravy in the wok and return pork to grill just for a short while, just enough to give pork some shine.
5. Cut the meat into slices. Serve with the sauce which which cooked with the meat earlier.

Tips:
1. I used 1kg of meat, after cooking it weight 600gm.
2. If you prefer lean char siew, you may use pork tenderloin.
3. Aside from Pork belly, you can also use Pork shoulder(cheaper).

Cashew & Almond Cookies

Ingredients:
120gm Butter
120gm Caster sugar
1 nos Egg yolk
70gm Ground almonds
150gm Plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Cashew nut, halved

Egg wash:
1 nos Egg yolk
Some Milk

Method:
1. Beat butter and caster sugar till creamy
2. Add egg yolk and ground almonds and mix well.
3. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Mix into a dough.
5. Scoop dough with a teaspoon, shape it with hands into ball shape.
6. Arrange on lines tray. Place a halved cashew nut on top on each cookie.
7. Brush with egg wash mixture.
8. Bake in preheated 180c oven for 10 to 12 minutes till cookies are lightly golden brown.
(You need to check the cookies from time to time, in order not to over-bake or under-bake.)
9. Allow cookies to cool completely on a rack then store in container.

Pineapple Tarts

My pineapple tart

I was inspired and motivated by Wokkingmum's pineapple tart. Have to thank Elaine for her wonderful recipe and tempting pineapple tart photo. So I tried her recipes, which turn out very nice.

I also tried other recipes like the Amy Beh's Pineapple tart. Here I've learned how to make pineapple jam from scratch. After all it's not so difficult and it taste better then those commercial stuff.

Both recipes are quit similar, except one with corn flour and icing sugar.
Both taste are great!

Here are the recipe:
Ingredients for Pastry
250gm Butter
50gm Icing sugar
2 nos Egg yolk

350gm Flour
50gm Corn flour
1/4 tsp Salt

Pineapple jam:
900gm-1kg grated fresh pineapple
200-300gm sugar (personal preference of sweetness)

1 cinnamon stick & 6 clove

Egg wash:
1 Egg yolk
Some Milk

Method to make the pineapple jam:
1. Place grated pineapple and sugar in a saucepan and cook over moderate heat to boil.
2. Cook the mixture until it's almost dry and thick. Keep stirring all the time.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick and clove. Leave the jam aside to cool.
4. Wet your hand, scoop the jam with a teaspoon, shape it with hands into small ball shape.

Method to make the pastry:
1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolk one at a time.
2. Fold in sifted dry ingredients and mix to a firm dough.

3. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and let the dough to rest for 15mins.
4. Roll pastry into 0.5cm thickness and stamp out with Jam-tart mould.
5. Add the pineapple filling.
5. Brush with egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 180c for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
7. Cool on wire rack before store in container.

Tips:
1. When you buy fresh whole pineapple, expect only to get half or a bit lesser from the actual weight. This is because after you peel,grate it. For example: buy 1.2kg pineapple, you might get only about 400gm of grated and drained pineapple.

2. You can choose to drain the juice or not. I did not drain the juice, so it take a bit longer time to cook.

3. Make sure you wet your hand while shaping the jam, and have a bowl of water to wet your hand whenever is needed.

Jam-tart mould