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Bak Kwa/Pork Jerky and welcome 2014



I  hope that all of you have had a wonderful X'mas and New Year and before we can settle snugly into 2014,  the Chinese Lunar New Year is just less than a month away which will mean baking and more baking.
Bak Kwa is a popular gift during the Chinese Lunar New Year and this is the first time that I'm baking and grilling them in the oven  instead of grilling them over a charcoal fire.
I've made Bak Kwa before, a very long time ago.  I remember that I had to dry the trays of marinated minced pork under the sun and had to keep a look out for uninvited guests such as stray cats and birds from feasting on the meat.  Then later had to sweat it out  grilling the dried meat over the erratic charcoal fire.   Baking and grilling them in the oven is definitely not so tedious and these bak kwa tastes just as good as the chargrilled ones.  In inflationary times like this, homemade ones are naturally much more economical more so if you intend to make this as a gift.

          


Recipe for Bak Kwa/Pork Jerky

    Ingredients
    • 500 gm double minced pork (1/2 lean meat and 1/2 meat with some fat)
    • 100 gm sugar
    • 1 Tbsp light soya sauce
    • 1/2 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
    • 2 Tbsp honey
    • 3/4  Tbsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    Method
    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients, except the minced pork, stir till creamy.
    2. Add in the minced pork, stir in one direction with a wooden spoon till the meat is gluey.
    3. Cover with cling wrap and keep refrigerated overnight.
    4. Spread the marinated meat on a parchment lined baking tray with a spatula, about 1/4 inch thick. (You can place the meat on the parchment lined baking tray, place another sheet of  parchment paper on top and roll out with a rolling pin).
    5. Bake in a preheated oven @ 130 deg.C for 15 to 20 mins., increase to 180 deg.C for another 12 mins.
    6. Remove from the oven, let cool, cut into desired size, flip over.
    7. Grill.  Check and flip the meat every 2 mins. till the desired colour is attained.


I'm submitting this post to  'Aspiring Bakers #39'  CNY Rock & Roll  hosted by Foodplayground

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Comments

  1. mui muiJanuary 2, 2014 at 1:41 AM

    HI Cheah,
    Love your jerky pork. It looks so much easier to bake them in the oven.
    Homemade are always tastier and hygienic.
    I am going to try this out. Thanks for sharing.

    Wishing you and your love ones a Blessed Happy New Year 2014.
    mui

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 1:25 AM

      You're most welcome. Yes, definitely more hygienic.

      Delete
  2. Stacy RushtonJanuary 2, 2014 at 1:54 AM

    You are a genius, Cheah! I love this stuff but it never occurred to me that I could make my own. Our favorite is the chili pork.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ~~louise~~January 2, 2014 at 2:53 AM

    Hi Cheah! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas also:) I sure wish I knew a bit more about celebrating Chinese New Year. I would love to do a post celebrating it on my blog. Perhaps one year I will know enough:) In the mean time, I will continue to learn and be in awe of your delicious looking meal. Boy, I sure would love a nibble.

    Thank you so much for sharing, Cheah...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 1:27 AM

      This is a delicacy that is very, very addictive, Louise!

      Delete
  4. ~ Nee ~January 2, 2014 at 4:28 AM

    Hi Cheah , the pork jerky looks delicious .... Happy New Year from my family to your :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Baking DiaryJanuary 2, 2014 at 7:47 AM

    Hi Cheah, Happy New Year:D waa...you are very fast into CNY mood! I am still deciding whether to make these as it is quite tedious too baking and grilling them...with electricity going up, got to think twice haha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 1:29 AM

      Yes, everything will have a price hike this year. In fact just experienced it yesterday, a young coconut used to be 2 rgt at the roadside stall is now 3.50 rgt!

      Delete
  6. MelJanuary 2, 2014 at 8:40 AM

    Hello Cheah
    Happy New Year to you. You are starting the new year with this delicious bak kwa! It sure looks very delicious....it is always good and healthy to make this at home. Store bought might not be as healthy and nowadays it is quite costly now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 1:30 AM

      I certainly agree with you that it's much more economical to make this at home, cheaper, tastier and hygienic.

      Delete
  7. ann lowJanuary 2, 2014 at 12:10 PM

    Cheah, Thanks for sharing bak kwa recipe. Look so delicious as store bought. Definitely will try it for sure :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 1:31 AM

      You're welcome, Ann. Do give this a try and let me know!

      Delete
  8. Lite Home BakeJanuary 2, 2014 at 12:12 PM

    Hi Cheah, Happy New Year! Your bak kwa looks good, just as good as those commercial ones if not better! I am tempted to try this, never made my own bak kwa before this :) Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 1:32 AM

      Thank you. Give this a try, it's not as difficult as it appears to be!

      Delete
  9. PHJanuary 2, 2014 at 2:00 PM

    Happy New Year, Cheah! Ah...you have started on the CNY baking already. I really should try these homemade bak kwa and surprise my family!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 1:33 AM

      Yes, give them a surprise and show them your skill :)

      Delete
  10. Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak LoverJanuary 2, 2014 at 7:07 PM

    Bak Kwa a must have item during CNY..Happy New Year to you Cheah!

    ReplyDelete
  11. kitchen flavoursJanuary 3, 2014 at 3:49 PM

    Hi Cheah,
    Your bak kwa looks so delicious! I've made a lot last year, but am not sure whether I'm making any this year!
    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 3, 2014 at 4:12 PM

      Happy New Year to you too.... I'm sure your family will be asking you to make this for them again this CNY. Think it's gonna be very expensive this year.

      Delete
  12. Jessie-CookingMomentsJanuary 3, 2014 at 8:10 PM

    Oh, I left a message b4 but it was on a different screen. Nevermind. It's time to bake this again for CNY! Your pork jerky's colour looks fantastic, delicious! By the way, thanks for the drop by to my blog earlier

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJanuary 5, 2014 at 1:34 AM

      You're welcome, Jessie and thanks for the compliment!

      Delete
  13. lenaJanuary 4, 2014 at 10:20 AM

    i might do a some this year too..much cheaper and hygienic!

    ReplyDelete
  14. ZoeJanuary 6, 2014 at 9:28 AM

    Hi Cheah,

    I made my own bak kwa too using Sonia's recipe last year. Love to make more again this year and love to try your simpler version :D

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
  15. FoodplaygroundJanuary 8, 2014 at 2:36 PM

    I will try your recipe soon, this is also just nice for this month AB theme . Do join in and submit your post to Foodplayground.blogspot.sg. Looking forward to your post soon. :)

    ReplyDelete

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