Not to be confused with Babi Assam which is the braised pork in tamarind sauce.

This is the dry version, and it is my late husband favourite Nonya dish.
He likes his charred food and no need to ask him what he wants for dinner on weekends as he would have said BBQ.

And if I feel he needs a little cheer up during the weekdays, I will make this tamarind pork.
I would have a ready tub of marinated pork belly in the freezer which just needs defrosting.
When press for time, I will chuck it in the oven. Otherwise, the pork will simmer in the marinades till cook and then grill it in the oven for those charred edges.

This is his recipe, and it is just combining the marinade and rubbed the pork belly with the marinade and set overnight in the fridge.
I used to serve this dish during CNY but has since stopped as there were just too many other delicious pork dishes the other family members were contributing (which I hope to blog about it soon)

Once, not wanting my large batch of marinating for Itek Sioh goes to waste, I rubbed the belly pork with this marinade (which include shallots and coriander powder).
This version exudes a sweeter and smoky flavour.

Marinated overnight, the pork belly becomes succulent and tender; simply irresistible with those charred edges.

This recipe has since become one of my "rescue" dishes.


You will need:

1 kg of belly pork

Marinate:
3 tablespoon of seedless Assam paste
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
150ml of water

Optional:
50gm shallots paste
1 tablespoon coriander powder, roasted.

Methods:
1. Cut belly pork into thick strips, combine with the marinade and place pork in the fridge overnight.

2. Simmer pork in marinade over low heat till cook.

3. Remove pork and place it in the oven (200c) until brown or the edges charred. Brush the pork with the marinade.

4. Sliced up into thick pieces and serve with garlic chilli sauce.