Stew pork with preserved beancurd/hakka char yok

Ingredients

• 1 lb. side belly pork
• 1 oz dried wood ears
• 400 gms pickled mustard
• 1 Tbsp. Chinese wine
• 1 piece star anise
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. cornflour
• 2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
• 1¾ cups warm water
• 6 pieces nam yu
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small piece ginger, minced
• ½ cup flour

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Preparation

• Washed and cut pork in 2" pieces, dried with paper towels. In a bowl, mix well the following: Chinese five-spice powder; 2 pieces of nam yu; flour; cornflour; wine; and egg. Add in the pork and marinate meat overnight.
• Washed and soak pickled mustard to remove any impurities and until water runs clear. Squeezed out excess water and cut into 2" pieces. Remove woody parts from wood ears and cut in 2" pieces. Set aside.
• Heat enough oil in a deep saucepan on high heat. When oil is hot, coat each piece of meat with flour and shake off excess flour. Gently add to the hot oil to cook. Do not put in too much meat at one time as the meat will not cook properly. Do the same with the rest of the meat. Deep fried meat until golden brown. Drain meat on paper towels.
• In another pot, add about one tablespoon oil, toss in the wood ears and pickled mustard and stir fry for about 5-10 minutes until the vegetables has absorbed most of the oil. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pot, add in two tablespoon oil, fry the shallots, garlic, ginger, star anise till fragrant. Add in the rest of the nam yu and rest of the water. Using the back of the ladle, mashed the nam yu till it dissolved. Add in the wood ears, pickled mustard, and rest of the water. Stir in to mix well and let mixture comes to a boil, then simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are soft and tender.
• Add in the fried meat, mix and simmer on low for another 30 minutes till the meat has absorbed some of the gravy. Serve hot with rice.