Braised Minced Pork with Preserved Vegetables (冬菜) and Diced Carrot

This is same as the earlier post last year, but now with carrot added.  Tried this and find that the carrot added a twist to the taste and bite.   The modified recipe is in this post.

Ingredients

1. 250 grams minced lean pork
2. 4 table spoon of preserved vegetable (冬菜)
3. 1 teaspoon corn flour
4. 1 table spoon sesame oil
5. 2 table spoon soy sauce
6. dash of pepper
7. ½ teaspoon sugar
8. 1/2 carrot

For gravy

1. 2 tablespoon soya sauce
2. 1 tablespoon sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon dark soya sauce
4. ¾ cup water
5. 2 clove of garlic
6. 2 table spoon cooking oil

Method

1. Wash the preserved vegetables and press dry.
2. Skin the carrot and dice into small cubes ½ cm.
3. Either you get ready minced pork, or you can get a piece of lean pork and minced it using your cleaver.  (cut into thin slice, and then chop repeatedly for about 5-10 mins.) 
4. While still on the chopping board, add in the preserved vegetables and chop again for another 5 mins so that that the vegetables are also chopped finely, and mixed well into the pork.
5. Add in the diced carrots and mixed in the corn flour, soya sauce, sesame oil, pepper, sugar and mixed well with a spoon or hand. (you can do this in a plate or on the chopping board)
6. Putting the pork on the chopping board, scoop up the pork with the cleaver in 1 hand and your other bare hand and slap it down gently on the chopping board repeatedly 10-20 times.  This will expel the air within the minced pork and will make it more compact and more springy to the bite when cooked.
7. Spread the pork flat like a patty.
8. Heat up a frying pan, add in oil and spread the oil out, especially if you are not using non-stick pan.
9. When hot, put in the patty to pan fry one side of the patty till brown, usually take 8-10 mins (you can pan fry the other side but it is optional)
10. When almost done with frying, add in chop garlic to fry in the oil.
11. Mix the sugar, light and dark soya sauces and water in a bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan, and cover for 5 mins to simmer.  Open lid, and flip the patty over and cover for another 5 mins to simmer.
12.  Serve hot.