Lor Bak / Ngo Hiang (Five-Spice Pork Rolls)

This week is a busy and exciting week as the coming Sunday is the World Impact International Night Food Fair for our church. Our Life group members will be involved in selling satays, ice kacang and some nyonya kuehs to raise fund for supporting the church missions! I know it will be an exciting weekend for my family!

Ok, here I'm going to share a Lor Bak or Ngo Hiang recipe which I modified from my mum's recipe. I remember when I was young, this dish only appear on the table during Chinese New Year where my late-grandma and my mum were very busy cutting the pork and wrapping tonnes of meat. During that time, this dish looks really complicated to me and I should admit it is still very complicated now. My mum version is purely Hokkien's Lor Bak, means that the ingredients is without yam or taro. I don't know how my late-grandma and my mum able to wrap up their Lor Bak so tightly, so I try the Teochew's Lor Bak which they introduce yam or taro in the filling. Personally, I think Teochew's Lor Bak taste better because of the yam. And the yam able to fill up the gap in the Lor Bak which make wrapping up the roll not a chore.

Another point to add here is...if you are going to buy dried bean curd skin, make sure you know the good brand because it really make a big different in your roll. The good quality dried bean curd skin will not tear easily and it tastes not so salty. The bad quality dried bean curd skin is crisp and will tear easily, it tastes really salty too!

I love the taste of Lor Bak, the stronger the taste of five spice powder the merier it will be! No doubt it involved lot of work during the preparation time, but the end result is flavourful, tender and juicy Lor Bak with a crispy outer skin. The frgrant linger in the kitchen after deep frying the Lor Bak make me feel at home.

Recipe from Ah Tze's Kitchen Play
Ingredients:
1 large sheet of dried bean curd skin, cut into 12 pcs

Filling:
800g pork fillet, sliced into thin strips
200g yam, peeled, cubed and steamed until soft
150g prawns, peeled and minced
8 pcs water chestnuts, chopped 
some coriander leaves, chopped
some spring onion, cut into small rings
1 small onion, peeled and chopped into small
5 tbsp chinese five-spice powder, add more if you love the taste
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Dipping Sauce:
Thai sweet chilli
1 lime juice

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a  big bowl, mix with a pair of chopstick. Keep in fridge for 30 mins.

2. Place the dried bean curd skin on a flat worktop, clean it with a piece of clean wet kitchen towel, to remove the salt on the bean curd sheet. Spoon 2-3 tbsp filling on the bean curd sheet, fold the edge over the filling, fold in the left and right sides and roll up to form a log. Remember to roll up tightly. 

3. Prepare the wok for deep-fry the rolls. Turn the heat down to medium when the oil is hot, lower the roll into the hot oil, one or two at a time. Deep fry for 3-5 mins or until the bean curd skin is light brown and the filling is cooked. Drain the Lor Bak on a kitchen paper.

4. Serve it hot with the whole roll or cut into smaller pcs.  

A day to remember:

My son getting his first class award on 22 Apr 2013. Below is the photos taken during his Monday's assembly, he is receiving his class award from his principle. When his name was called, he stood up, the little man walk up to his principle. That Monday, he was one of the two Prep students who receiving the class award.

Thank you for giving him this class award to encourage him on making a great start in Term 2. By getting much better at following instructions, by encouraging him on his persistence, organisation, confidence, resilience and getting along with his classmates. Well done, my son!