I was craving char chee yoke, so I bought pork belly, eggs, onions, and mixed salad. This char chee yoke is wonderfully soft and tasty, just like Grandma’s cooking, but made with leaner meat like my mum’s. For me, it’s a truly comforting meal, especially served with fried egg, onion, salad, and rice—deeply satisfying and delicious.
Char chee yoke is a traditional Hakka braised pork belly dish with lots of rich, silky fat. My grandma always told my mom that you must have at least three layers: skin, fat, and meat. Over the years, all of us have become less keen on very fatty pork belly, so Mom started buying pieces with a little less fat. Yet it still carries the same deep flavour from the marinade, which needs to soak into the meat for 2–4 hours.
“Eggs are nutrient-dense, oval powerhouses laid by many female animals—most commonly birds like chickens—providing a rich source of high-quality protein and essential micronutrients. They contain choline, a vital nutrient that helps build cell membranes and supports normal brain development and nervous system function. Eggs are also rich in antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which help lower the risk of age-related eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Their high-quality, highly bioavailable protein and the amino acid leucine support muscle repair, growth, and healthy aging. Enjoying eggs for breakfast helps keep you full for longer, which can naturally reduce your overall daily calorie intake.”
My meal is colourful, healthy, and delicious. Let’s cook!!!
Ingredients
Char chee yoke
1 kilo of pork belly, wash, drain and cut into 3 or 4 long strips
¾ packet of black fungus, soak overnight
½ bulb of garlic with skins, break them into individual garlic piece
4 eggs
3 Tbs of 5 spice powder
5 Tbs plain flour
5 Tbs brandy or whiskey
¾ Tbs salt
1 Tsp ajinomoto (OPT)
oil for deep frying
1 Tbs minced garlic
water enough to cover pork
Fried egg onion
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, sliced
fried shallots, bought
1 Tbs Shao Xing Chinese cooking wine
2 Tsp mirin
oil
salt
pepper
Garnish
1 packet mixed salad, wash and dry
chili sauce (OPT)
Method
Char chee yoke
Place the long strip pork belly in a big bowl, add 5 spice, plain flour, salt, ajinomoto, brandy and crack the eggs in. Mix well till combined. Set in fridge for 4 hours to develop the flavour.
Heat oil on medium high heat. Deep fry a few pieces at a time about 4 minutes until golden brown and removed to a paper towel plate. Once deep frying all the pork, heat a big pot with oil. Then add 1 Tbs minced garlic fry till fragrant about 1 minutes. Add the fried pork to the pot.
Smash the individual garlic and add into pot. Now add black fungus in and strain the fungus water into the pot. Next add enough water to braise the pork until soft about 40-50 minutes. Check seasoning. Switched off hob.
Fried egg onion
In a saucepan, heat 1 Tbs oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and lightly golden. Spread the onions evenly across the bottom of the saucepan. Pour lightly beaten eggs evenly over the top. Season with salt and black pepper. Let the bottom set and firm up slightly, then slide a thin spatula underneath and carefully flip the egg over. Cook for another 10 to 30 seconds on the second side until fully set, then spoon onto a plate.
Assemble
Spoon some rice onto bowl. Followed by some salad mixed on the top edge of rice. Next spoon some char chee yoke on top next to salad mixed. Then fried egg onion on the left edge of the bowl. Drizzle chili sauce over the fried egg onion and some on top of salad. Enjoy with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc!!!
Note: Char chee yoke: Do not add pepper. If you don’t want to be too liquid add a little less water. If you like it darker colour add 2 Tbs of dark caramel sauce. Fried egg onion: you can add tom yum paste instead of Shao Xing Chinese cooking wine.
https://helenscchin.com/2024/09/19/char-chee-yoke-fried-egg-onion-salad-with-rice/
For the fried egg onion with tom yum paste use this recipe:
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