LOOKS UNGOOD, TASTES BEAUTIFUL

It's visually not very appealing, so most Caucasians I know, and a Parsee, would not find it appetizing. And aesthetically it benefits enormously from a sprinkle of chopped scallion, a very light dusting of smoked paprika for colour, and a drop or two of fragrant sesame oil. Evenso, it won't win any beauty pageants or cooking shows. Both Jamie Oliver and Rachel Ray won't know what to make of it, and for that reason alone it's also a winner.
And it goes well with sambal and rice.

Steamed pork belly with shrimp sauce and ginger.
蝦醬蒸五花肉 ('haa jeung jeng ng faa yiuk').

Yeah, no actual recipe.

Pork belly (五花腩 ng faa naam') is beloved by the Cantonese and other southern Chinese, and similar to bacon. Alternating layers of fat and meat that properly prepared (and it's hard to mess it up) is absolutely divine. Hakkas do it with salt vegetable (梅菜 'mui choi') and a long cooking time, it's also good simmered in soy sauce and rice wine, or red stewed.

Simply steamed, with a spoonful of stinky shrimp sauce and plenty of ginger shreds, it's something everyone remembers from their grandmother, then prepares for their white friends, who cautiously and gingerly extend their forks to taste it. Hesitant.
Good lord, what is this?

You could also prepare it with salt mustard stems (榨菜 'jaa choi), for an equally not very nice looking dish. And your white friends will likely again be somewhat unenthused.

Most white people, and Thais and Shanghainese, are very visually judgemental about food.
If it doesn't look like something they would eat, they won't eat it.


Remarkably, the English are also like that, despite their own "cuisine" looking mostly like lumps, muck, and sludge. And not tasting good.


NOTE: This is NOT a dish to discuss with your physician or nutritionist.
Even if, like mine, they are Cantonese, and at Chinese Hospital.
Despite their having enjoyed such things.
They might object.




Chunks of pork belly, spoonful shrimp sauce, a good measure of ginger coarsely shred-cut, small jigger rice wine or sherry, pinch of white pepper and or five spice powder. Place it all in a shallow bowl and steam for an hour and half, up to two hours, once the water boils in the steamer. Serve with rice, a vegetable, and sambal.




==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================