How to Make Babi Chin Like London’s Hottest Malaysian Restaurant

Of all the vibes on Earth, being the driving force behind one of the best new restaurants in town has gotta be up there with the very greatest.

Abby Lee is the chef-owner of Mambow in Clapton, East London, a Malaysian place that has spent the last year greedily gobbling up rave reviews from all corners.

She recently joined the Munchies team to run us—and more importantly, you—through her recipe for babi chin, a fragrant and spicy braised pork belly dish, and sambal belacan, which complements it like a dream.

Check out the video below—and a step-by-step guide for whipping the full meal up below that.

Watch the latest Munchies ‘How To’ episode below:

Recipe:
Babi Chin and Sambal Belacan
(Serves 4)

First, make your Babi Chin Paste.

Step 1: Blend or pound all the ingredients below until smooth:

20g coriander root, sliced
2 tbsp coriander seeds
7 cloves of garlic, peeled
40g taucheo, or soybean paste
25g long red chilli, green tops off & sliced

Next, it’s time to make the Babi Chin itself.

You’ll need your Babi Chin Paste, as well as:

840g pork belly, in 5cm cubes
4 banana shallots, peeled and kept whole
80g black soy sauce (cooking caramel)
20g cloud ear mushroom, soaked in warm water to bloom
15g light soy sauce
1.5 tbsp granulated sugar
Water to cover
1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil

Step 1: Heat the oil in a suitable braising pot, to medium heat. Turn the heat down slightly to fry off the paste, until the oil splits and smells fragrant. Take care not to over-caramelise it.

Step 2: Add the pork belly cubes, coat each slice well. Once the colour of the pork is no longer pink, add the rest of the ingredients, and enough water to just about cover.

Step 3: Bring the water to the boil, then down to a very low simmer. Cover and braise the pork for about 1.5 hours. (If you like, you can also do this in the oven, at 160c for the same amount of time.)

Step 4: Once the pork is tender, remove it—along with the shallot—from the braising liquid. If the braising liquid looks very thin, turn the heat up high, in order to reduce the liquid until it coats a spoon.

Step 5: Return the pork and shallot to the pot to glaze. Season with more salt and sugar to taste. Serve with rice—and a dollop of Sambal Belacan… here’s how to make that…

Sambal Belacan

150g long red chilli, tops removed & sliced
15g kalamansi lime juice, or lime juice
15g granulated sugar
12g belacan, toasted
2 kaffir lime leaf, with the middle stem removed

Step 1: Wrap your piece of belacan in foil, like a parcel. Toast on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until it lightens in color and is no longer sticky.

Step 2: In a pestle and mortar, or a blender, blend all of the above ingredients. Try to keep a little bit of texture: it gives more flavor. Taste and season with more lime or sugar as desired.