Babi kecap
==========

Recipe 1.
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Translated from http://serdadoedapoer.blogspot.com/2010/01/resep-babi-kecap.html

Some chinese influences in this recipe.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 Kg pork belly (w/ fat and skin)
  Cut 1cm thick making sure all pieces have skin, fat and meat;
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed;
- 1/2 tbsp powdered black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cane sugar/crystal sugar
- 1/2 tsp tamarind
- 1/2 cup Ang ciu (chinese rice wine)
- 2 star anise
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 1 scallion
- 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 1 Ltr water
- 1 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Mix the meat with the garlic, black pepper and angciu
   until evenly distributed.
2. Heat the wok with "a drop" of oil, sautee the meat until
   half done
3. Add water and remaining ingredients except the soy sauce- 
   Cook until the liquid is reduced till half, then add soy sauce,
   proceed until the liquid is gone, then take off the flame.
4. Serve with piping hot rice.

NB. For best results, never replace the pork meat with anything 
    else, as this spice mix is already adapted to the character of pork meat.

Recipe 2.
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Translated from http://cuek.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/babi-kecap/

Ingredients:
500 gr pork (lean)
Pork belly 250 gr (as hubby likes pork belly a lot, I like to buy 500gr as well)
3 big tomatoes
1 onion
5 red shallots 
7 cloves garlic
salt, pepper to taste
sweet soy sauce
hot water
oil to sautee

Directions:

Rinse meat and pork belly, cut in 1.5cm pieces, set aside
Dice the onion, set aside
Dice the tomato, set aside

Grind salt, pepper, red and white onion, set aside (* this is the "bumbu")

Heat enough oil, when hot add the onion
After softened, add the bumbu*. Once fragarant, add the tomato.
Leave until softened, then add meat and pork belly.
Cover to allow the juices to get out. 
Once juices start running, add hot water (and cook) until the meat is tender.
After this, add sweet soy sauce (best let it slide down the side of the wok*
rather than to put it on top of the meat or in the water)
After the sauce thickens, lift and serve.

Usually I serve this with fried sambal terasi (chili paste made with 
fermented shrimp) or birds-eye chili (paste).

Source:  http://imahartanto.multiply.com/recipes?&=&page_start=100 

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* Notes from Marc:

- To me, what makes this recipe is tender bits of meat and fat, 
and the intense flavours despite its simplicity. For best results,
don't hurry this one. Use a good quality sweet soy sauce (ABC,
kaki tiga, "A" brand).

- I would expect the second recipe to result in a tougher, less
tasty babi kecap (unless enzymes in the tomato help soften the meat, 
but the high cooking temperatures would probably break down those
enzymes before they have a chance to act)
as the whole cooking process focuses on high temperature, and the meat
is treated in such a way that the collagen contracts.
Also, as the soy sauce is added at the end of the cooking process, it
has less chance to flavour the meat.

Recipe 1, on the other hand, defines a seasoning step permitting
breaking down the collagen. The sauteeing step allows Maillard reaction 
to take place before the liquid for the sauce is added.

For years, I've cooked a variation using coriander, aniseed, ginger, 
onion, garlic and sweet soy sauce. However I tried a version without
ginger, aniseed and coriander and when done right it is just as nice,
but more true to traditional Indonesian flavours. 
The big onions used in EU cookery are for sale in Indonesia, but 
most recipes use small red onions/shallots instead; however, as can 
be seen, recipe 2 uses both kinds.