House Sambal Bak Chor Mee with Lard Crisps

Method

1. Split the dried chillies and shake out the seeds. Put them, the shiitake and the dried shrimp in separate bowls, cover with hot water and soak for 20 min. Squeeze the mushrooms dry and slice thinly; keep the mushroom water.

   Add in this stepDried red chillies 8Dried shiitake mushrooms 5Dried shrimp 2 tsp

2. Cut the pork fat into 5 mm cubes and put it in a 18 cm pan with 2 tbsp water. Render on medium-low heat for 18 min, stirring now and then, until the water has gone, the cubes are golden and crisp and the fat is clear. Strain, keeping the lard crisps and the lard separately. Keep your face back from the pan as the fat can spit.

   Add in this stepPork back fat or fatty belly, skin removed 80 g

   medium-low heat

3. Blend the soaked chillies, shrimp, shallots and garlic with the oil to a fine paste. Fry it in a pan on medium-low heat for 12 min, stirring constantly, until it turns deep brick red and the oil separates at the edges, then stir in part of the sugar. This is your sambal. It catches easily, so keep scraping the bottom.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 3 tbspShallots 2Garlic cloves 2Sugar 0.6 tsp

   medium-low heat

4. In a small pot put 1 tbsp of the lard, the mushrooms, oyster sauce, part of the dark soy, the rest of the sugar and 100 ml of the mushroom water. Simmer on low heat for 15 min with the lid ajar until the liquid is syrupy and the mushrooms are plump and glossy.

   Add in this stepOyster sauce 3 tspDark soy sauce 0.6 tspSugar 0.9 tsp

   low heat

5. Fill a 2.5 L pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil on high heat, about 9 min. Meanwhile toss the minced and sliced pork with the cornflour, part of the light soy, half the white pepper and 1 tbsp water.

   Add in this stepMinced pork 140 gPork shoulder, thinly sliced 80 gCornflour 1 tspLight soy sauce ¾ tspWhite pepper ½ pinch

   high heat

6. Turn the heat down to medium heat. Put the pork in a sieve, lower it into the water and stir with chopsticks for 3 min, until the slices are opaque white and no pink remains in the mince, then lift out. Blanch the bok choy in the same water for 30 seconds.

   Add in this stepBaby bok choy 2

   medium heat

7. Into each bowl put a share of the black vinegar, the remaining light and dark soy and the rest of the white pepper, plus 1–2 tsp sambal, 1 tbsp lard and 1 tbsp mushroom braising liquid per person, and stir.

   Add in this stepChinese black vinegar 2 tbspLight soy sauce 3¼ tspDark soy sauce 0.9 tspWhite pepper ½ pinch

8. Bring the water back to a rolling boil on high heat, loosen the noodles and cook them in 1 batch(es) for 1 min. Dip 3 seconds in cold water and 3 seconds back in hot, shake dry and toss straight into the sauce. Top with the pork, mushrooms, bok choy, lard crisps and spring onions.

   Add in this stepFresh flat egg noodles (mee pok) 200 gSpring onions 1

   high heat