Mui choi kau yuk (梅菜扣肉)

This is a traditional Hakka dish which is absolutely delicious. In fact it is even better the next day. My grandma used to cook a big pot of mui chye but somehow she never added pork in it. I normally cook mui chye with Chinese roast pork because my previous attempts at cooking the kau yuk were absolute failures. Then a friend in Beijing taught me how to do it and so here it is.

Mui chye (梅菜) is mustard green vegetable that is salted and dried under the sun. There are 2 types - sweet mui chye (甜梅菜) which is brownish in colour and salted mui chye (咸梅菜) which is dark green in colour. It is best to mix them so that the dish will not be too salty.

Ingredients 

500g pork belly

50g sweet mui chye

150g salted mui chye

8 cloves roasted garlic (more fragrant)

It is easier to wash out the salt if you soak it without removing the leaves from the stem

Change the water frequently until it is clear

Remove the leaves from the stem and squeeze them dry

If the leaves are very big, halve them length wise so that it will not tangle when cooked

Remove the hard ends of the stems and finely slice the mui chye

Finely chop 2 cloves garlic and fry till fragrant

Most people fry the vegetable dry but I like to fry with oil so that it is smoother and more fragrant

Add the mui chye and stir making sure that the vegetable is thoroughly coated with the oil

Add 2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

Mix thoroughly

Transfer the vegetables into a slow cooker.

Add enough water to cover the mui chye.

Put in 6 whole cloves of garlic and some pepper.

Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours

Blanch the meat to remove any scum

Place the pork on the chopping board and let it dry so that it will not splatter when fried

Heat up some oil and fry the pork

Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to go back into the pork

Cut into fairly thick slices

Put the meat at the bottom and cover with the mui chye

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours

Take the pork out of the slow cooker

Arrange the pork skin side down in a heat proof bowl

Scoop the mui chye on top of the pork

Do not put in all the gravy otherwise it will be difficult to turn it over later

Cover with tin foil, shiny side next to the food

This is to prevent water dripping onto the mui chye

Steam on low fire for 2 hours or more if you prefer

Take the bowl out and place on a towel so that it will be easier to hold when turning it over

Remove the tin foil

Put the plate over the bowl

Flip it over

Remove the bowl and there it is ready to be served