¼ lb | 110g pork with skin, washed and cut into ¾” | 2cm cubes with skin
6 cebola mato, washed, tipped and cut in half lengthwise
4 slices pickled ginger, washed and cut in cubes the same size as the pork
¼ tsp turmeric
2 spring onions, tied up
salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp Chinese vinegar
6 wooden skewers 3 -3½” | 8-9 cm long and thick enough not to bend

On each skewer, in succession spike pieces of pork, cebola mato and ginger and repeat up to about 2″ before the and of the skewer. Put them neatly in a pan, add lard and fry.

Add turmeric, salt, vinegar and spring onions and cover with water. Bring to the boil then simmer gently uncovered until tender the water has evaporated.

The fat will gradually ooze out of the pork; let it fry gently till light brown.

⁽¹⁾     This recipe also appears, with minor variations, in Annie Sousa’s collection.

½ lb | 225g fat pork with skin, washed and cut into 1-in cubes
2 dsp soy sauce
¼ cup Chinese wine (ló chiu)
6 pieces of tao fu bi (optional)

WITH TAO FU BI

Put the pork in a pot with Chinese wine, soy sauce and enough water to cover, a pinch of salt if needed. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently till quite tender.

In the meantime, cut the squares of tao fu bi in halves, tie a knot in the centre and soak in a bowl with boiling water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda for 5 mins. Squeeze two or three times in this water so that the inside of the knots can get soft. Strain and wash two or three times in plain cold water to get all the soda out. Then squeeze these knots almost dry. Put this with the cooked pork and simmer for 10 mins to get all the taste in. If there is not enough liquid to simmer the tao fu bi, add a little water.

WITH BAMBOO SHOOTS

Boil the pork the same way as with the tao fu bi until half tender. In the meantime skin two bamboo shoots taking away the tough bottom; cut all the tender parts in chunks and add to the half cooked pork. Simmer till all is quite tender.