When I cooked this Indonesian Kecap Manis – Braised Pork (also called Babi Kecap) from the new cookbook Mortar and Pestle by Pat Tanumihardja and Juliana Evari Suparman, I noticed that Indonesian cuisine has many similarities to Filipino cuisine in terms of taste, ingredients and processing. This simple pork belly dish is a good example. Plus, it was an easy one-pot meal to make as a family during the week or on the weekend.
If you’re looking for something new to cook in the coming year, but still want to serve your family the familiar Asian savory-sweet flavors, you’ve come to the right place. Thanks to Pat Tanumihardja’s latest cookbook, this 200+ page hardcover book with 80 recipes has helped me greatly in the kitchen over the last few busy weeks leading up to the holidays. There were new dishes I could prepare, but the layered flavors of Filipino and Asian home cooking—savory, sweet, spicy, salty, spicy, and more—were all there because most of the ingredients needed were already in my pantry or refrigerator. Best of all, Pat’s recipes are actionable and easy, whether you’re a beginner or a professional in the kitchen.
Why you will love this dish
The predominant flavor of this pork belly dish is its sweet taste, which many Filipino main dishes also have. I was reminded of this Pork humba I often prepare meals for our family weekends or parties. The latter is based on sweet soy sauce. This also applies to this braised pork. The sweet-salty flavor of the sauce that coats the tender cubes of pork pairs well with the simplicity of steamed rice served as a side dish.
What ingredients are needed?
Kecap Manis – is basically the Indonesian sweet soy sauce: you will need about 2 tablespoons each of toyo (soy sauce) such as the Filipino brand Silver Swan, brown sugar and water to mix. I also like to use Chinese brand soy sauce like Coconut Brand.
Pork belly – one and a half pounds or up to 2 pounds, with enough fat to marble to add delicious flavor to the dish.
Potatoes – used for stews such as red potatoes or the yellow gold variety.
Ginger – I used slices of fresh ginger, a tablespoon; If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can substitute it with a teaspoon of chopped bottled ginger.
White or yellow onions – medium size
Garlic – about 4 cloves
Sugar, salt and black pepper – for seasoning
Hard boiled eggs – about 3 to 4, optional but a family favorite
Spring onions or scallions – 1 to 2 stalks, chopped for garnish.
The process
This is a one-pot dish in which all the ingredients are cooked in the same deep pot or stockpot. Basically, you start by marinating the pork in the kecap manis sauce for half an hour.
Then fry the aromatics: onions, garlic, ginger. The pork is added and cooked until tender. The potato slices are then cooked with the rest of the savory-sweet mixture.
Finally add hard-boiled egg slices and chopped spring onions.
How to serve
Although it’s easy to make this braised pork, the savory-sweet flavors combined with onions, garlic, and ginger can be quite bold yet delicious. Serve with steamed white rice, a staple in most Filipino households. The simplicity and mild flavor of the rice complement the bold aromas and flavors of the pork.
A side dish of steamed vegetables like spinach or a crisp vegetable salad served alongside the pork can make a delicious meal.
Indonesian sweet soy sauce – braised pork belly
This Indonesian Kecap Manis – Braised Pork Belly is a one-pan dish that can easily be put together for a family meal. The braised pork cubes are first marinated and then fried in the sweet-savory kecap manis, which is essentially soy sauce sweetened with sugar. The pork is cooked along with potatoes, then hard-boiled egg slices are added to enhance the deliciousness of the dish. This recipe on ArticleSubmission.news was inspired by The Mortar and Pestle Cookbook: Classic Indonesian Recipes For The Modern Kitchen by Pat Tanumihardja and Juliana Evari Suparman.
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 28kcal
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Big pot
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Medium mixing bowl
For the Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce (like Filipino Silver Swan or the Chinese coconut brand)
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Water
For the braised pork
- 2 pound Pork belly or pork shoulder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 quite medium sized white or yellow onion
- 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 4 slices fresh ginger, peeled, about 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt, like Maldon’s
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups Water
- 2 to 3 pieces Yellow gold potatoes (or potatoes for stews such as red potatoes), peeled and cut into 5cm cubes
- 2 to 3 quite hard-boiled eggs, peeled, halved
To garnish
- 2 Stems Spring onions, chopped
Preparation of Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
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In a microwave-safe bowl, combine water, soy sauce and sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.Microwave over medium heat for about 25 to 30 seconds. Stir to make sure the sugar dissolves. Set aside to use as a marinade for the pork.*Note: The author suggested using the ingredients for a larger batch. This will last for 1 month in the fridge.
Preparation of the Braised Pork:
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In a mixing bowl, marinate the pork with 1/4 of the kecap manis and black pepper for 1 hour. Set aside.Reserve the other quarter of the kecap manis for cooking.
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In a large pot or stockpot over medium-high heat, add the oil. After about 1 to 2 minutes, when the oil is hot enough, add the onions, garlic and ginger. Sauté until fragrant and onions are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes.Add the pork cubes. Stir and cook until pork is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.Add salt, sugar, water and remaining 1/4 cup Kecap Manis. The liquid should cover the top of the pork pieces. Add more water if necessary.Cover the pot. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer.
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Cover and simmer the pork over medium heat until tender, about 30 minutes.When the pork is cooked, add the potatoes. Distribute evenly. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes more.Add the halved hard-boiled eggs. Garnish with spring onions.Serve warm with rice.
Storage:
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Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.To freeze, store in a freezer-safe plastic container. This can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Remove the egg slices and store them separately in the refrigerator.
Cook’s comments
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Disclosure: This is not an advertisement for the cookbook. The book was a gift from the authors. I can highly recommend this Indonesian cookbook to fans of Asian and Filipino cuisine. It shares many similarities in taste and cooking methods with Filipino cuisine and one can easily adapt to the new recipes.The Mortar and Pestle Cookbook: Classic Indonesian Recipes for Modern Cooking (Weldon Owen 2024) by Pat Tanumihardja and Juliana Evari Suparman is available where most books are sold.
Portion: 100grams | Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 7G | Protein: 0.1G | Fat: 0.02G | Saturated fat: 0.01G | Polyunsaturated fat: 0.01G | Monounsaturated fat: 0.003G | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 0.1G | Sugar: 7G | Vitamin A: 3IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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