Sharing a simple dish which my paternal grandma used to cook for me just cos she knows I love it (as with pork liver soup with minced meat). This is one dish that I will never get sick of, and can eat it every day, with or without rice.
Minced Meat with Potato Chips
The potato chips aren’t those you find in aluminium packaging. It’s sliced potato that have been pan-fried till the edge becomes a nice golden crisp. I didn’t do a terrific job with my first attempt because I was so scared of oil splattering! I still am, by the way. I’ve just managed to find ways to protect myself while pan-frying things. (Long oven gloves!)
After my paternal grandma passed away, my mom and maid continued to cook this dish for the family. But after I got married and moved out, I decided that I should learn how to make this dish, some years later.
With help from my mother, I managed to recreate it in my own kitchen! I still need to work on slicing the potatoes though. I’m so scared I’ll lose a finger or more in the process! Hehe.
P.S. This post was left in my drafts folder for a really long time because I wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested in this dish. However, with Chinese New Year coming up, and families gather for reunion dinner, I’m thinking that maybe, just maybe, someone will make this dish for their family and have it warm their hearts and bellies like mine whenever I have this favourite childhood dish of mine.
- 250g minced pork
- 1 medium size potato, sliced
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornflour
- Dash of white pepper
- 1½ tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- Water (amount depends on how much gravy you want)
- Salt, pepper and sesame oil
- 1 tsp Corn starch (optional, to thicken sauce)
- In a small bowl, mix minced pork with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, corn flour and pepper till well combined. Cover with cling wrap and marinade for at least 40 minutes.
- Heat up pan with oil over medium-high heat. Lightly fry potato slices until cooked and lightly golden brown at the edges. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add pork into the same cooking pan (after removing most of the oil) and spread it out. Do not stir fry immediately. Let it cook for a while. Flip it over and let the other side cook for a while.
- Reduce the heat to low and break up the pork into tiny bits. Stir fry until well mix.
- Combine oyster sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl, mix well before pouring into cooking pan.
- Stir to coat all the ingredients. Cover with lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add some water if the sauce is running dry.
- Season to taste with sesame oil, pepper and salt.
- Remove from heat and pour it over the sliced potatoes before serving.
- Serve with rice or congee.
- ★ Minced pork can be replaced with sliced pork.
- ★ Soak potato in water for 5 minutes to prevent them from turning dark.
- ★ To thicken the gravy, mix cornstarch with water before adding it to the cooking pan.
- ★ Do adjust the sweetness and saltiness level to your liking. We tend to go all out for flavours 🙂
