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Monday, May 31, 2010

Hainanese Pork Chop - 海南猪排

Pork chop1

Pork Chop 4

Pork Chop 3

I am a Hainanese, that minority Han tribe that hails from the Southern Chinese Island known as the Hainan Island.(The Chinese would call it the Hawaii of China. I wouldn't know, I have never been to either Hawaii or Hainan Island) There are enough Hainanese who had migrated to Singapore to make this quite a well known clan - after the main stream clans such as the Cantonese, the Hokkien and the Teochews.. After all, no visitor to Singapore must leave the island without trying the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice!

We used to stereotype the different races who had migrated to Singapore. The Indians thrived as money changers and textile dwellers in Singapore, the Hokkiens and Teochews ran the staple commodity business e.g. salt, flour, rice, the Hainanese - coffee shop owners, cooked for the ang mohs(expatriates from England, Switzerland etc who were residing in Singapore). I don't know how it came to be like this but ever since I was young I already noted that among my relatives, there were quite a number of good cooks - one was running the kitchen at the local Swiss Club, another was house keeper and cook to a wealthy English man living in a sprawling mansion at Bukit Timah...I hear similar stories from my Hainanese colleague whose mother was a cook and housekeeper to the western expatriates.

As a result of which, we became the 'priviledged' kids who knew what beef stew was,ate pork chop with fried potatoes wedges and frankly speaking, grew up with the best Chinese Curry Chicken.

The Hainanese Pork Chop is one of my favourite childhood dishes. I would remember my mum asking me to pound the Cream Crackers (we don't use bread crumbs to coat the pork chop) while she tenderised the pork chops with the back of a cleaver.

Pork Chop 6

I was pleasantly reminded of this dish when I was poring over Madam Neo's cookbook for the Soon Kueh recipe. While my mother used to prepare a tomato ketchup sauce, Madam Neo's version is soya sauce based but looked equally good. I decided to give this a try yesterday for lunch... and no regrets. I am happy and very satisfied.


Pork Chop 7(100)
Recipe (from Madam Neo 梁怡树夫人's 温馨佳肴) :
Pork Chop   314g
Oil               1 tbsp
Butter          1 tbsp
Oil for deep frying
Cinnomon Stick 2.5cm long
Onion         115g
All purpose flour 1 tsp
Jacobs/Kong Guan / Julie cream cracker 140g pound into powder
Green peas 55g

Marinate
Egg 1
Sugar 1/4 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Pepper To season

Seasoning for Sauce
Chicken stock 225 ml
Chicken seasoning 1/2 tsp (optional)
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Dark Soya sauce 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
1. Mix all marinate ingredients together.
2. Flatten and tenderise pork chop with back of cleaver or tenderiser.
3. Place (2) into (1) and let marinate for 30mins.
4. Sauce : heat a wok and add butter and oil. Add cinnamon and onion rings. Fry until onion is fragrant and turn transparent. Add flour and stir fry for another minute. Add the Sauce seasoning and simmer on low heat until thicken.
5. Heat enough oil in the wok to deep fry pork chop.
6. Place cream cracker crumbs on a shallow plate and coat marinated pork chop evenly with cracker crumbs. Deep fry the coated pork chop until golden brown. Remove and place on an oil blotter.

7. Slice deep fried pork chop and top with sauce and green peas.

33 comments:

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi,
I'm so happy to see this post as I've been looking for this hainan pork chop recipe for long long time and almost give up because didn't find a good one! I'm a hainanese too! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I must get some pork chop and make it soon. Thank you thank you!!

pigpigscorner said...

Hainanese pork chop?? I've never heard fo it! Sounds really interesting with the cinnamon.

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Grace, you are welcome. Good to find another Hainanese on the blog...You can still get these at the coffee shops along Seah Street and Purvis Street (海南一街,二街). One that I used to go when I was young is a coffee shop called Jing Jing..

Quinn said...

Looks very good Shirley! I didn't know that is Hainanese though, my mum makes that pretty often. Haha, let's not all claim our dishes and share and spread it to many more gazillion people to come. I might just have to substitute the green peas with sweetcorn because Aaron hates it. Graham crackers...hmmmm, might be hard to come by in Australia but must find!!!!

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Haha...Quinn,you're right,just enjoy the food! The cream crack is just So Ta Piah - Julies, Kong Guan, whatever...and you are a very considerate girl friend!

Zurin said...

Cream crackers sounds absolutely delicious! I must try it with chicken. I like that bowl!! so pretty. :))

btw my rosemary bread did nt make it to FG or TS :((

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Zurin, yes, I know you like the bowl.I have a few more in different colours - will feature them later...FG and TS - sigh, don't know what to say anymore. I really thought the rustic-feel is beautiful.

WendyinKK said...

In Malaysia Hainanese were the major players in the food business during British era. Being cooks, like as you said, for all the angmoh, hotels and government rest houses. Most coffeeshops are owned by Hainanese as well. I think the one that my family operated is the only non Hainanese one around in town back then.

I did one Hainanese Pork Chop quite few months back, but never posted it.

Jo said...

I simply love Hainanese pork chop or chicken chop for the matter. I would so love to try this out. Whenever I get back to KL I would try to have this at least once.

ann low said...

Thanks for sharing this lovely dish. I've been looking for Hainanese pork chop for quite sometime and how nice to find this is the type of pork chop I want and must bookmark this. ;D

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

I am a little suprised to know that this has been such a sought after recipe. I have always thought that this is a common dish...but I am glad that this post has become useful..:)

Swee San said...

graham cream crackers!?!?! never knew it was used in hainanese pork chops.. Thanks for sharing :)

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Sorry All, I just realised I made a mistake - I meant Jacob's cream crackers not Graham crackers.

Carolyn Jung said...

This reminds me of Japanese pork tonkatsu, with its crispy exterior. Nothing wrong with fried pork in any culture. ;)

Passionate About Baking said...

Wow Shirley, your hainanese pork chop looks really good. I like the sauce that tops it too! Helps to mellow down the oil-liness of the pork chop. Yum yum. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Kitchen Corner said...

Hey Shirley, yes I feel so great to know you are also a Hainanese :) I wish to make it myself as what you did. It looks very delicious indeed! May be you can bring me to that Jing Jing shop for lunch :)

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Ooh I love it! Using cream crackers (a staple in so many Asian households). I must make this for my dad-he'll love it!

maameemoomoo said...

I'm a Hainanese too!

Can you speak the dialect?

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Hi maameemoomoo! Another Hainanese! This is getting to be quite fun. Unfortunately, I can't speak the dialect..very very broken but I think I understand like 80% of it... I spoke Mandarin growing up... can you speak?

MaryMoh said...

I've heard of Hainanese chicken rice but not the pork chop. It must be very delicious....can tell by the look.

tigerfish said...

Your Hainanese pork chops look too good! I want some NOW!

Lily said...

Shirley, the hainanese pork chop looks awesomely delicious! I'll have to attempt it :)

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

must try this yummy pork chop one day!

Angie's Recipes said...

Never had Hainanese pork chop....I am totally intrigued.

Anonymous said...

This dish is absolutely my favourite! I love the thick gravy that comes with it.

Trissa said...

Hi Shirley - what a fascinating write-up! It sort of reminds me of how it is in the Philippines - even the dish you made, we used to eat pork chops growing up with a similar sauce - thanks for reminding me of it once again!

eatingclubvancouver_js said...

This is such an intriguing recipe -- bookmarked: thanks! I'm happy to have stumbled on your blog. . .I'm going to take a tour now and read your other entries.

maameemoomoo said...

Shirley, i used to speak Hainanese when i was very little.. but not anymore :(

These days, i do go to Purvis St's kopitiam to sit around, eat kaya toast and eavesdrop on the elderly's conversation (not that i can understand totally :P). The language is very beautiful and gentle in my opinion.. hehee.. reminds me of my childhood.

saccha said...

Can I add potatoes to this recipe? I remember having potatoes in this dish before... :)

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Saccha, you definitely can! Deep fry some potato wedges and add them to the pork chop. My mum used to do that too... :)

Anonymous said...

I am more interested in the Hainanese Pork Chop recipe of the Beo Cresent.

These so-call fat juicy pork chop do impress....sorry but really

www.malaysianfoodrecipe.com said...

Being hainanese myself, can't stop myself to like your post. Its awesome.

alicew said...

Just prepared Hainanese Pork Chops for dinner tonight. I'm a Hainanese too! :)

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