This is a wonderful Indonesian braise. “Wait a minute. Indonesia is a Muslim country, and Muslims don’t eat pork,” you may say, and you’d be correct. The thing is, this recipe is from Bali, which is predominantly Hindu.
With that behind us, I love that different cultures have variations on the same foods, such as marinated and starch-dredged fried chicken, and in this case, cut up meat braised in soy sauce. The Japanese have a similar dish, though it has a different flavor profile.
There’s no real trick to making babi kecap, but keep in mind that kecap manis is thicker than sweet soy sauce and substituting the latter for the former will render a different outcome.
What you’ll need
- 2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
- 3T and 1t neutral oil
- 10 small, red Asian shallots, peeled and sliced
- 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 50g (2 oz.) ginger, peeled and minced
- 0.33 cups kecap manis
- 2T soy sauce
- 1.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2T mushroom powder (optional)
- 2 star anise
- 3 Thai chilies
- 2 large red chilis
What to do
Cut the pork into 1.5-inch cubes. You can trim off excessive fat, but whatever fat there is will render as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large casserole or braising pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, cooking until they take on a little color. Make sure not to scorch the garlic. Add the ginger and pork and cook until the pork takes on a bit of color.
Add the kecap manis and soy sauce to the pan, mixing it in well.
If you’re using the mushroom powder, whisk it into the stock before adding the stock to the braising pan. If the liquid doesn’t cover the meat, add more stock or water until it’s just covered. Add the star anise and chilis.
Bring to a simmer and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to a very light simmer and cover the braising pan. Cook for 1.5 or so hours. Check the pan every 20 minutes or so to ensure the simmer is at the right level. Add water, if for some reason it has evaporated from the pan.
When the pork is cooked, the sauce should be glossy and slightly sticky—like kecap manis. If it’s too watery, remove the pork from the braising pan with a slotted spoon and, over high heat, boil off the excess liquid. Return the meat to the pan.
If the meat was fatty, there will be a layer of rendered fat floating on the surface. You could skim it off, or if you have time, let the dish cool on the counter before refrigerating it until the fat cools and solidifies, making it easy to remove. Serve hot with rice and crunchy stir-fried vegetables.
