Ngoh Hiang

Ngoh (Ngo) Hiang (五香), also known as five-spice meat roll or loh bak (五香滷肉), is always a favourite during Chinese New Year. While the Teochew version comes with yam (taro), this is the Hokkein version of ngoh hiang I love and grew up on. Eating them reminds me of my late father as this dish was his specialty. He was an awesome cook by the way, and this recipe is my tribute to my father.

See Also:

• Money Bag Wontons Recipe
• Fruits Yu Sheng Recipe
• Chinese New Year Recipes

This recipe is largely based on how my dad used to make them (and verbally imparted by my mum), with some tweaks of my own. My father’s secret to making delicious ngoh hiang was to use minced pork belly instead of lean pork. Don’t worry about the fats, as they will sort of be rendered out during deep-frying, and using a fattier cut will result in a more flavourful and moist filling. Also, request the market seller to grind the meat only once so that the resultant pork roll will have a nice bite and texture. I prepare and marinade the meat filling the night before, then fold and cook them the next day. You can also keep the excess in the freezer until ready to deep-fry. The results are definitely rewarding at the end of the day as home-made ones are far superior, in my humble opinion, to the ones sold commercially. Step-by-Step Photos: How to fold the ngo hiang

Wipe bean curd skin on both sides with a slightly damp clean cloth to get rid of the excess salt.

Measure and cut the bean curd skin to 15 x 10 cm (6 x 4 in) pieces.

Place about two and half tablespoons of meat filling in the lower half of the bean curd skin, leaving a small gap at the bottom and at the sides.

Fold the bottom flap up, and dab the side edges with egg white.

Fold the sides over the meat filling.

Roll the meat roll tightly towards the top.

Secure the remaining corner with egg white to seal the roll.

While I prefer to use egg white, my family uses the meat filling to seal the edges. The choice is up to you.

This is another method of folding ngoh hiang.

Just roll the ngoh hiang without folding in the sides, then use egg white or meat filling to secure the sides as you roll.

Which ever method you use, repeat folding until all the filling is used up. By the way, this is my set up for steaming the ngoh hiang, before deep-frying. Line the steamer with parchment paper and make sure the ngoh hiang do not touch one another.

Deep fry in batches and enjoy!

Print

Ngo Hiang Recipe (Five-Spice Pork Rolls)

Do check out the step-by-step photos on the first page for folding ngo hiang.

Serves: 23 meat rolls

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 40 grams bean curd skin wipe both sides with slightly damp cloth; then cut to 15×10 cm (6×4 in) pieces
• 1 egg white for securing the ngoh hiang or use the marinaded meat mixture
• vegetable oil for deep frying

(A) Meat Filling

• 500 grams minced pork belly (or use a fattier cut of pork) for best results, the meat should be grounded only once
• 200 grams shallots peeled and finely chopped
• 15 grams dried shrimps soaked in hot water until softened, pat dry with paper towels and chop finely or grind until powdery
• 300 grams prawns coarsely chopped after removing shells and veins
• 10 water chestnuts peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped spring onions
• 1/2 carrot use a zig zag peeler to julienne to thin strips, then finely chopped

(B) Seasoning

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp five-spice powder
• 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp plain flour

Directions:

1. Add (A) to a large bowl and season with (B). Mix thoroughly and marinade overnight in the fridge.
2. To fold the ngoh hiang, lay a piece of cut bean curd skin on the work surface. Place two and half tbsp of meat filling in the lower half of the bean curd skin, leaving a small gap at the bottom and at the sides. Fold the bottom flap up and dab the side edges with egg white. Fold the sides over the meat filling and roll the meat roll tightly towards the top. Secure the remaining corner with egg white to seal the roll.
3. Prepare a steamer lined with parchment paper. Arrange the ngoh hiang such that they do not touch one another, and steam in batches for 10 minutes each time. Let the steamed ngoh hiang cool and air dry completely on a wire rack.
4. Heat vegetable oil in wok. Deep fry in batches, for about 2-3 minutes, until the ngoh hiang are golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towels/tempura paper before serving.

Noob Cook Tip

After steaming the ngo hiang at step 3, you can freeze the extras in an airtight container or zip lock bag.

Ingredients Used: bean curd skin • dried shrimp • egg • egg white • five spice powder • plain flour • pork belly • prawn • shallot • soy sauce (light) • vegetable oil • water chestnut • white pepper