Lao Liang Pork Trotter Jelly: They don't do it like this anymore!
With iwatch_ueat and SCS Butter
Now this is a dish you don't often get to see nowadays. (Actually I don't think it was ever that common). I admit that this was the first time that I was introduced to this Teochew Dish myself. It is yet another nail in the coffin of my self delusional status as a true blue Teochew Ah Hia.
It is rather interesting, but this Pork Trotter Jelly (or Pork Aspic as some call it) reminds me of some of the stuff that you can get from the Cold Meats section of your Butchery. The reason that this dish is not often seen is, I presume, the amount of time and effort it takes to make the dish. Pork Trotters are stewed for at least 8 hours to turn the collagen into gelatin. The meat is then left overnight to set and then left in the fridge for another whole day. So all in all, it takes at least 2 days to prepare the dish. Of course, if you want to take some short cuts, you could add cornstarch or gelatin as some purportedly do. But this third generation Teochew couple still insists on doing it the traditional way without the additives.
If you like to eat the jelly of white chicken, then you are going to love this dish. It goes with a very special chilli sauce which they make with Blue Ginger (Lengkuas). The texture is excellent and the jelly is so clear you can see through it easily (I am told that is one of the ways to tell if it was made right). Tastewise, however, I thought that it could have had a bit more oomph. 4.25/5
The thing about Teochew food is the simplicity of the dishes which places the emphasis on the freshness of the ingredients. The shark's meat is simply boiled in water to cook it and served with a plum/peanut sauce. You simply cannot get away with using second rate fish. I am sure there will be people who would rave about this dish, but it failed to wake up the "tiger" in this half past six Teochew Ah Hia. 4/5
If you think that you can simply prepare this dish at home, then you are seriously mistaken. Well, you could maybe get hold of some fresh shark meat, but you would be hard pressed trying to get hold of some plum sauce that is as good as this one. This plum sauce is so good that you have to pay an extra 20 cents for each additional plate. But there is good reason for it. This couple actually make the plum sauce themselves from preserved plums. But that's not all. The plums have to be aged at least 2 to 3 years before being turned into plum sauce. That means that they have a continual 3 year stock of preserved plums at their home! Now, if you ask me, I'd rather just pay 20 cents more to get my plum sauce fix!
Conclusion
Traditional Teochew food that is quickly disappearing from our hawker food scene. For this particular stall, this will be the end of the line after three generations when the couple retires. So better go try some before it goes the way of the Dodo.
Lao Liang Pork Trotter Jelly
Stall 37, Jalan Berseh Food Centre
11am to 3pm
Closed on Mondays
17 comments:
Time to visit Jalan Berseh again....haven't had this for a looooonnnng time :)...
Not sure if the Yong Tau Foo at the basement is still there?
*LOL* ok la not true blue also nvm la.. we'll recognize u as a teochew ah-hia with a very non-traditional and liberal outlook in terms of tastebuds?
anyways.. my aunty conned me into eating that gelatiny thingy the other day! had i known it were pig's trotters I wouldn't have eaten it! she told me it was some meat from behind the pig's ears!
sbimbycat
Liverpool, Yong Tau Fu is still there calling out to you.....
lunch next week SCS butter? suppose to have a good nasi bawean ard there too! :)
Lao Liang has a brother who also cooks the pork aspic dish at his wanton mee stall at a coffeeshop at Cambridge/Pek Kio area.
Had it a few months back. However, the stall doesn't sell shark meat.
There is another stall at Hong Lim, near Nana Curry where they do a mean pork aspic too.
Damien, Yes that is the stall I told yg. In fact I went with ieat & makan kakis to that stall but they were closed. Somehow I refer this stall pork aspic. Their fried wanton are very good 4.25/5 but for wanton mee I prefer the one at the Cambridge f.c.
I think the opening hour should be 11am instead of 1am. typo?
Yes the plum sauce is superb! I like to order a bit of everything, including their braised meats which u did'nt mention here... and don't forget to ask aunty for her special soup ^^
Thanks for pointing it out!
which wanton mee stall in Pek Kio? There are a few.....
Nice! Going down tommorrow to EAT! I LOOOOOOVE SHARKS!
*Shall we have suckling pig as the next dish? (Anyone knows where to have GOOOOOD & CRISPY suckling pig?)
P/s: I think this site is better than the makansutra guide of best singapore food, and STOMP Foodie Review. :) This is updated ON A DAILY BASIS, and with really good, mouth-watering pics!
Mummum, Sori dont have the unit nos. but it is at the last row just before the fruit stall which is the next row.This stall opens in the morning n will be sold out by noon.
Liverpool, I get ur number from ieat then we arrange...
ieat, the soup is fantastic if you had acquired the taste. It is 白木耳(white fungi)and 花菇(dried shiitake mushroom). Soup base is the water used to soak the mushroom). Usul,好介绍.
I had tried his old man's version at carpark in front of Majestic, standard ok until after the centre was renovated. Now it had lost its oomph as he now add gelatin to it. This can be observed when toward the end of our meal, the aspic is still in solid pieces instead of breaking up when I tried to pick it up with my chopstick.
Amanda, there is a stall in Kovan FC specialising in suckling pig. Sorry I do not have the name or unit. From carpark, as you enter the FC, you will see two laksa stalls, walk through to the back and look out for it. Anyone else can give more details?
There was a thread that mentioned this item in Sammyboy forum last week. So you read that forum too huh?
Actually no. The pictures were taken a week or two before publication.
Will definitely order this dish when I come across it.
Had a portion of it at a stall in Hong Lim (located opposite Hiong Kee Dumplings). Tasted okay only. Not much meat as the jelly alone amounts to about 80% of this dish.
I remember this dish as my grandfather's favourite and he often buy it back from somewhere. I loved it too when I was very little but until today, I can't seem to find a store that sells what my grandfather used to have. The pork jelly which he brought back is full of lean meat pieces, not pig skin and they are garnished with coriander leaves and has a 5 spiced flavor sauce (taste a bit like the sauce from stewed duck) poured over it. Very yummy. If anyone knows where to get this or how to make it, please let me know. In Teochew, my grandma told me that it is called "Bak Tao Kueh" (肉头糕)。
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