Hakka Char Yoke - Braised Pork and Wood Ear Fungus
Print This Post
Char Yoke is a Hakka dish that is commonly found at our local chap fun (economy rice) stalls. I really like it and have been wanting to try it out for myself at home. Char Yoke is essentially braised pork with wood ear fungus. The secret in the dish lies in the use of fermented bean curd (”nam yue” - Cantonese or “tau ju” - Hokkien).
The cooking steps are two-fold and although its really very easy, preparing the dish does take a little while to ensure the flavour is fully released. Here’s my easy recipe for Hakka Char Yoke or Braised Pork with Wood Ear fungus.
You Need:
- 250g lean pork cut into pieces
- 3-4 pieces of wood ear fungus soaked
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 piece of fermented beancurd (”nam yue”/ “tau ju”)
- Dash of oyster sauce
- Water
How to:
- Marinade the pork with 3/4 piece of the fermented bean curd and a dash of oyster sauce. Set aside for at least half an hour. Half a day would be better.
- Wash and soak the wood ear fungus (mu er - Mandarin or mok yue - Cantonese or bok nee - Hokkien) then when rehydrated, slice it into thin slices or into small pieces according to taste.
- Saute the chopped garlic in a pan with some oil. Then, add the marinated meat and stir fry gently until the meat is semi cooked.
- Pour some water in the pan to cover the meat halfway, and add the wood ear fungus. Add the remaining bit of fermented beancurd, stir through and then cover and simmer on low heat.
- Stir occasionally and ensure that the water does not dry out. Add more water of necessary. Braise for about 1 hour until meat is soft.
- Dish out and serve with hot white rice.
See, I told you it was super easy! It is important to braise it for a while because the meat will take time to release its flavour and for the flavour to be infused into the dish. Don’t put too much water. You want enough water to have some gravy but not so much that it turns into a soup.
Related posts:
- Quick and Easy Pork Strips with Fresh Shitake Mushrooms
- Touch of nostalgia: A simple homecooked meal
- Chinese Rice Wine Chicken with Vermicelli (Ang Chiew Kuay Mee Suah)
- Steamed pork ribs with red dates and dong kwai
- Stirfried Arrowroot (nga ku) and meat
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
Yum Yum… this is my all time favourite because my grandma who is a Hakka cooked this dish very often and now I am hooked to it. Thanks for your recipe!
@noobcook: It is! Do try it 
@Monstro: Haha… At least you are guaranteed yummy ones when bought
@ky: and mine too!
@Alice: I’m happy it brought back good memories Thanks for coming by
How long did you soak the ear fungus? I tried cooking something using that, soaking them way too long (about 6 hours?) - and they all turned out mushy and yucky.
Lovely photo. Getting better, PP!
@Jun: Oh 6 hours is way too long Jun! You just soak it about 10 minutes until it feels soft (not hard and dry) because cooking it will soften it further. Good luck trying again and thanks for the compliments on the photo! I’m trying
Leave a comment
Kerepek Bawang - Traditional Malay Crackers »
I love fermented bean curd but haven’t used it in my cooking so far. This hakka braised pork dish looks delicious & comforting ^^