Bak Kwa, Rou Gan, 肉干

Bak kwa, yuk gohn, rou gan 肉干 is very popular among malaysia, singapore and in far east asia. Well, it is chinese salty-sweet meat square and taste very very good. It can be made from pork, chicken, beef or even lamb or even from seafood. Bakkwa is believed to have originated from a meat preservation and preparation technique used in ancient China that is still practiced in places with Hoklo (Hokkien) influence. Traditionally, bakkwa was made using leftover meats from festivals and banquets. They were preserved with sugar and salt, and then kept for later consumption, and was the preferred method at a time when refrigeration was not available. The meat from these celebrations is trimmed of the fat, sliced, marinated and then smoked. After smoking, the meat is cut into small pieces and stored for later. It is believed that the distinguishing feature behind the preparation was in the marination, and the recipe is often closely guarded.

Sources: Amy Beh, Lily, Chow Time, Wikipedia

Ingredients:

1kg ground pork
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
200g sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
1/8 tsp five spiced powder
1/2 tsp kam cho (licorice) powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp rose wine
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey

Methods:

1. Mix all ingredients and marinated overnight in the fridge.
2. Spread the marinated pork on a greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven 175 degree celcious for 10 minutes, then turn to another side and bake 10 minutes again. Repeat till done. Cut into suare or as desired.

Notes:
1. You need to spread the meat into thin layer.
2. You may sliced pork into very thin slices to make meat square in stead of using ground pork.
3. You can grill it on grill pan or even bbq it.