Hoisin and Ginger Pork Hawker Roll

I never knew what a hawker roll was until I tried it at one of my favourite restaurants, Madam Woo. I decided to have a go at home and create my own. They are so good, the soft rich meat was perfect. I spent a year trying to make my own roti but then discovered you can buy it from a Asian supermarket and they are easy to cook and delicious, so was a big time saver. Thanks to Expleo butcher in Te Awamutu for supplying the meat. Give this Malaysian street food ago and surprise friends and family with something new.

Remove skin from meat. Cut the carrots and onions. Place all the ingredients except the skin in a slow cooker and set to low and cook until falling apart

Score skin and rub with oil and salt. Roast in the oven until it bubbles and is golden and crispy. Cut into chunks and blitz in a food processor to a crumb. Place crumb back on a tray in the oven to dry out and crisp up.

Heat oil in a frying pan and fry sliced shallots until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Heat vinegar and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Pour over the thinly sliced carrot and onion and leave to pickle.

Mix together the cabbage, lettuce and spring onion.

Shred meat from the bone and Place in a bowl. Strain cooking liquid into a saucepan and reduce until thickened. Add the meat to the sauce.

Cook roti until golden on both sides. Place some meat down the middle of the roti and top with a handful of the lettuce mix. Finish with some pickled vegetables, some crispy shallots and a sprinkle of crackling.

Hoisin and Ginger Pork Hawker Roll

Makes about 8

Pulled Pork:

1.5kg Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt)

4 Tbsp crushed garlic

4 Tbsp crushed ginger

2 Cups Hoisin Sauce

1 litre Ginger beer

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 onions, roughly chopped

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 lime, juiced

Salt and pepper

Remove the skin from the pork and set aside. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add ginger, garlic, carrot and onions to a slow cooker. Add in the pork and then top with the ginger beer, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until falling apart. While cooking, follow the recipes below so you are ready to make the hawker rolls once the meat is ready. Remove the pork from the liquid and using a knife shred the meat from the bone, set aside in a bowl. Strain the liquid into a pot, place over a medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Leave to simmer until thickened enough to coat the meat. Remove from the heat and add in the shredded meat and mix to combine.

Crispy Shallots:

2 Shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

Oil, for frying

Heat about 2-3cm of oil in frying pan to 180c.Add the sliced shallots and fry until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

Pickled Carrot and Onions:

1 Carrot, peeled and cut in half and sliced thinly (half-moon)

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

100ml apple cider vinegar

50g sugar

Add vegetables to a non-metal bowl and set aside. Add vinegar and sugar to a small saucepan, place over a medium heat, and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and pour over the carrot and onion, and leave to pickle for at least 2 hours.

Crackling Crumb:

Skin from the pork shoulder

Salt

Oil

Preheat the oven to 200c fan forced. Score the skin with a sharp knife. Rub with oil and salt and place on a lined baking tray. Roast in the oven until it bubbles and is golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and break up into pieces. Place in a food processor and blitz to a crumb. Place back on the tray and cook until crispy.

For Hawker Rolls:

Shredded meat

Crispy shallots

¼ Green cabbage, shredded

¼ Iceberg lettuce

1 spring onion, julienned

8 frozen Roti Paratha (buy from a Asian supermarket in the freezer section)

Heat the frying pan over a medium heat. Spray pan with a small amount of oil, add one roti to the pan, and cook until golden and then turn and cook the other side until golden. Continue to cook the other roti. Once cooked do not stack them as they will go soggy. Mix the cabbage, lettuce and spring onion together in a bowl. To make the hawkers, place the roti’s in a hot dog basket or on plates and place a spoonful of meat down the middle. Add a handful of lettuce mix on top and finish with some pickled carrots and onions, a sprinkle of crispy onions and crackling crumb.