Stewed Sweet and Sour Vinegar Trotter

A dish that is a must for Chinese ladies during confinement after the birth of a child is the stewed sweet and sour vinegar pork trotters though the dish is also popular any other time. Here is yet another recipe from Amy Beh.

Stewed Sweet and Sour Vinegar Trotter
1 pig’s trotter, about 2kg, cleaned and chopped into big pieces
1 litre sweetened Chinese black vinegar
700ml Chinese black vinegar
800ml water
600g young ginger, crushed
2 tbsp sesame oil
100g rock sugar
100g palm sugar (gula Melaka)
10 black dates (hak choe)
½ tsp thick soy sauce, for colour

Blanch trotter in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove and clean under running water to remove any scum. Drain.

Heat sesame oil in a heavy-based pot and fry ginger until fragrant. Pour in both vinegars and water, cover and simmer for 30 minutes before adding the trotter, both sugars and dates. Cover and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or until trotter is tender. Stir in thick soy sauce for colour and allow the trotter to soak in the sauce until the flavour has developed before serving.

Marmite Pork

Lately, meat cooked with Marmite or Vegemite has been popular. If you would like to give it a try, here is a recipe from Amy Beh.

Marmite Pork
600g belly pork, cut into 2cm x 4cm pieces

Seasoning
2 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp thick soy sauce
½ tsp Chinese five spice powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tapioca flour

Marmite sauce – (combined)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
A little thick soy sauce
2 tbsp Marmite yeast extract
1 tbsp maltose
1 tbsp honey
Dash of pepper
300ml water

Thickening
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water

Marinate pork with seasoning ingredients for several hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat enough oil in the wok and deep-fry marinated pork pieces until golden brown. Drain and set aside.

Heat a little oil in a wok and add combined Marmite sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmering boil, then add the pre-fried pork. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Thicken sauce with cornflour mixture.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Wouldn't it be nice when family and friends come to visit over Thanksgiving weekend, you have an extra dessert on hand that everyone will love (especially the kids!)? Here is a recipe for crustless pumpkin pie. Give it a try!


Crustless Pumpkin Pie
from Coming Home with Gooseberry Patch

4 eggs, beaten
15-oz. can pumpkin
12-oz. can evaporated milk
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. salt
18-1/2 oz. pkg. yellow cake mix
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. butter, melted
Garnish: whipped topping, chopped walnuts,
cinnamon or nutmeg

Combine eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, spice and salt. Mix well and pour into an ungreased 13"x9" baking pan. Sprinkle cake mix and nuts over top. Drizzle with butter; do not stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, testing for doneness with a toothpick. Serve with whipped topping sprinkled with nuts and cinnamon or nutmeg. Makes 8 to 10 servings.