My MIL does all the shopping/marketing, while I do all the food preparation and cooking with whatever she bought for many meals. So my response to my hubby's query is ‘The main ingredient [streaky pork belly] isn’t available at your mum’s place'.
At times, it is rather impossible to cook what you wish to if the shopping/marketing is done by another especially when you can’t even plan a menu. I just need to wait for instructions from my MIL what she wants me to prepare and sometimes the ingredients needed aren’t sufficient too. So you need to improvise and make use of what you have in hand and also to avoid wastage. I never like to waste food ingredients.
You may be wondering why I didn’t do the marketing since I’m doing the cooking. This is not allowed, she loves to buy. If both of us does the marketing, then there will be excess and wastage in the end.
Back to this dish, it is very easy to cook yet it is so presentable, tasty and delicious. The sauce is sour, savoury and spicy while the fried pork is crispy, tasty and aromatic. Both blends very well. You may increase the sauce portion if you prefer more sauce.
Ingredients
300 gm streaky pork belly – cut into 3 inch length pieces
Some salad leaves
Some sliced tomatoes
Some toasted sesame seeds
Sauce [combined]
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1-2 tbsp chilli sauce [more if you like it spicy]
- Marinate streaky pork belly with some light soy sauce, wine and mirin [can replace with some vinegar and sugar].
- Heat a non-stick wok without oil, fry pork belly pieces [in single layer] until oil oozes out and crispy on both sides.
- Line serving platter with salad leaves and tomatoes [ you can add canned peaches and blanched broccoli florets].
- Place fried crispy pork slices on top of salad, drizzle sauce over meat and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately.
You sound like a really great daughter in law to your MIL. That's not easy. Jia you!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous, thanks, I know my MIL needs help and someone has to 'sacrifice' a little to make things go smoothly. Sometimes, I did wonder if I don't help what will happen cos' I dare not try especially during festive times.
ReplyDeleteKimmy, you are a wonderful person . As a daughter who is now living overseas, I would give thanks daily to God if my mom'daughter in law looks after her as you do for yours.Keep your chin up, Kimmy
ReplyDeleteHi Jess, I do hope that all DIL's can be like daughters to MILs and the rapport/relationship works both ways. MILs should accept DILs as their daughters too. Unfortunately, it is not the case and it is a sad thing. From my own experience, I'm aware that I has been taken for granted for being filial. My MIL has openly stated that she loves others more than me eventhough I'm the one doing the most for her [during her good and bad times] while others don't do anything at all for her. Anyway, I thank God cos' I know I have been blessed with other good things in life like good career, health and wealth all this while.
ReplyDeleteKimmy, this is a salad that I would love to try!
ReplyDeleteHi Kimmy,
ReplyDeleteYour MIL is just too lucky to have a DIL like you, and she never realised how good you are.
This CNY, my SIL (brother’s wife), my mom’s DIL, went back to her own relative’s house for reunion dinner,
claiming that she could not get along with us as we, siblings are very closed with one another and she felt being left out.
She never treated my mom like mom, instead, she treats her like transparent…. In, out and in the house, she could ignore her altogether.
My mom has never nagged or scolded her. We also do not like to make much comments as we do not wish to make things difficult for my brother.
My SIL has never do housework, never wash her husband clothes, never contribute anything for the house, never cook.
She never allows my brother to participate in any of the family gathering including my mom’s birthday.
Every day, she sleeps up to 9+ in the morning, spending at least an hour in the washroom, then go out to work. Back home by 10+ every night, wash up and lock herself in the room.
If she brought home any food or titbits, she would keep them in her own room without sharing with my mother and other family members.
Does your MIL wants such DIL? I believe nobody wants…
Sorry to have venting my anger in your blog… I meaning to share with you that you are a great DIL to your MIL, just do your part as DIL,
your MIL would come to realise some days that she has such a filial DIL..I am sure such day would come soon :)
加油!
Hi Lynn, I used to stay with my MIL since I married into the family. It's only recently, I stayed at my own place when my workplace was nearer to my home. My MIL has a grand daughter in-law [her daughter's DIL] staying with her with the same character/behaviour like your SIL but she was so loved by my MIL. That's one of the reason, we decided to spend less time in her house to avoid any tension in the house. My MIL will always asked her daughters to come home for reunion but she was unhappy when I went visiting my parents on the second day of CNY [it's a tradition that married daughters only return home on the second day]. I cooked lunch for them before leaving the house and has to be back before dinner time to prepare dinner for them [about 6 families]. No other woman folk in her house can cook. Do you believe?
ReplyDeletesome people are 生在福中不知福, taking things for granted.
ReplyDeleteYour MIL's grand daughter in-law is one of them who fails to appreciate your kindness.
What’s right does she have to be unhappy when you need to visit you own parents? You are not their maid !
Having to cook for the entire family is definitely not an easy task…. Some people are just hard to please.
I should not bad mouth them to strain your relationship with them… but I certainly know how you feel as well the behaviour of those peoples too.
If I cannot contribute any help to my family, I have no rights to comment about others!
My husband side – my SIL are good cook… like you, they cook without much complaint …. me being novice in cooking, 帮头帮尾，still very harmony:)
Hi Lynn, it's okay. I think my MIL haven't fully accepted me like a daughter yet, otherwise she would be more caring and considerate. There are many things that have happened which indicate such kind of attitude but thank God I'm not full time there anymore. But come festive times, I still have to be back there to do all the chores. There are many extra things that I do for her all the time which I haven't mention here. Even her own daughter or loved ones don't do that. There was one year, a young niece who came visiting took me for a maid cos' when told her she should call me Auntie. She said 'why only you doing all the work while others are chit chatting in the hall?'..So cute. My hubby's SILs do help with some cleaning up after meals but they can't do the job well, I don't know why.
ReplyDelete