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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Family Style Meat Rolls [Bak Kian]

Cross section of the Ngoh Hiang
In Penang, we called meat rolls 'Lor Bak' and away from Penang, from mainland to central and southern Malaysia, most people will call the meat rolls as 'Bak Kian'.  My auntie in Taiping prepares these meat rolls 'Bak Kian' which I supposed is Ngoh Hiang as the ingredients used are similar.  Please refer to my postings on Family Style Meat Rolls - Lor Bak and Nyonya Style Meat Rolls - Loh Bak, the ingredients are lesser and slightly different.   Both as good and very flavourful.
This time, I tried making their version of meat rolls [Bak Kian] and it turns out well and taste like the Bak Kian of olden times.  A good recipe which is a keeper.
Ingredients
[makes 13 rolls]
500 gm ground pork [with some fats]
250 gm prawns - chopped
100 gm [1 small] red carrot - chopped small cubes
1 big onions [50 gm] - chopped small cubes
10 water chestnuts - smashed and chopped
1 egg
100 gm breadcrumbs or crushed soda biscuit
1 spring onion - chopped
Ingredients for Bak Kian
Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each pepper, sugar and light soy sauce
2 tsp 5 spice powder
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp sesame oil
Ingredients and seasoning ready for mixing
1 piece beancurd skin - cut 4" x 7" pieces
Beancurd skin
All ingredients already mixed for rolling
Meat rolls ready for steaming
  1. Prepare the above ingredients and place all in a big basin. Add in seasoning, stir mix ingredients in 1 direction till well combined. 
  2. Place enough of the meat mixture on a piece of beancurd skin and roll up like spring roll. Seal the edges well. [Here, I tied up the rolls to make 3 smaller meat rolls]. Place meat rolls on a greased steaming tray. Finish making the rolls. 
  3. Steam on high heat for 15-20 minutes [depending on the size of the rolls]. Remove and cool before deep frying. 
  4. Heat up enough oil on medium heat and deep fry in batches [so that less oil is needed] till golden before serving.
  5. Slice meat rolls before serving with sweet chilli sauce and cucumber. 
Steamed Bak Kian
Steamed Meat Rolls, ready to be fried before serving
Deep fry in batches in a small pot of oil
Fried Ngoh Hiang
The meat roll texture is good [not crumbly or too compact]
 Note:
  • can prepare ahead up to step 3 and store in refrigerator, to be fried later before serving
  • can make thinner rolls and tie into smaller size and cut diagonally into 2 per piece after frying or just make long slender rolls, fried and sliced  slantly before serving
  • this quantity can make about 13 rolls or about 39 smaller rolls.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

HI,

my family recepe called for sengkuang. but it is hard for me to find a sengkuang in UK.
so, i will use your recipe this sunday, use water chestnut (can find here in tin).

thanx again for the recepe.

regards
JJ

Kimmy said...

Hi JJ, water chestnuts [ma tai] tastes better in the meat rolls than sengkuang. Happy trying.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kimmy,

Indeed, my wife said the water chestnut tasted better than previous sengkuang.

we love this version very much.

i appreciate your sharing of this recipe.


regards
JJ

Kimmy said...

You're welcome JJ. Glad that your family like this version. You can make a bigger portion and freezed them. Just reheat in the oven before serving, they are as crispy as before.

Anonymous said...

The day before the weekend my mom was supposed to teach me how to do her can't-stop-eating bak kian, she passed away suddenly.

I couldn't find this recipe anywhere else... Thank you so much for sharing this *weeps*

I will stick to sengkuang though because if i make this, it's triple the recipe... big family of gluttons lol.

Kimmy said...

Hi Anonymous, so sorry to hear about your mom's passing. I was afraid such a thing happens to me and that's the reason why I start writing this blog to put on record my mom's family recipe. She's already in her 80s. Glad that you find this recipe close to your mom's.
Shouldn't be a problem to use sengkuang which is much easier to work with... This is a good bak kian recipe and do let me know how you find the taste and texture so that I can learn your version.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kimmy,

I made bak kian for the first time for CNY using this recipe. As you said this recipe is a keeper. Really yummy bak kian! Thank you so much Kimmy!

cheers,
meimei

Kimmy said...

Thanks Mei Mei for your positive feedback. This is one of my favourite recipes for Bak Kian [my mainland aunties' type of meat rolls]. Glad that you find them yummy!!!!