BABI PANGANG (DUTCH STYLE INDO-CHINESE GRILLED PORK)

Steps:

• Dice the onion but keep one slice aside for the sauce.
• In a bowl, combine the vegetable oil and kecap manis . Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Grate the ginger into the bowl then add the five-spice, 1/2 of the salt, garlic and stir well.
• Add the pork to a large casserole pan. Cover the meat with the chopped onion and pour the marinade over. Marinate the pork for 2 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a large heavy lidded pan. Add the marinade and onions to the pan.
• Add the remainder of the salt and pour enough water in there so that the pork is covered by 1/2 inch of liquid. Simmer over low heat with the lid on for 60 minutes. Flip the steaks halfway through the cooking process. Turn off the heat and allow the pork to cool in the pan. (At this point, you can refrigerate pork chops to finish at another time. Remember to chill onion slice as well).
• Next, mince the slice of onion you set aside and the garlic. Heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until they soften. Don't brown them.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute to sweeten it up. Add the ground ginger, water, chili sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, ketchup, vinegar and salt. Stir well.
• Simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The color will deepen and turn more reddish. Taste to check the seasoning. There should be a perfect balance between sweet and sour. Mix corn starch with 1 tbsp water and whisk into the sauce. Simmer for an extra 2 to 3 minutes.
• Dab the pork steaks completely dry with a clean paper towel. Heat the oil to 355 degrees F and fry the steaks for 1 minute each side. They will almost blacken.
• Slice the pork and serve along with sauce. White rice and acar campur (Indonesian pickled vegetables) work well with the pork.