The Best Yumblink Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Hey foodies! If you’re like me, a third-culture kid, you know that food is a huge part of what makes your culture unique. So, welcome to my new series, Third Culture Eats – let’s see how consistent I am with this The first dish I’m sharing is one of my absolute faves – Minchi. This Macanese dish is like comfort food on steroids. It’s made with mince, potatoes, and rice, and the beauty of it is that there’s no “real” way to make it. Every household has its own spin, but trust me, all versions taste so good! Let’s dive into the recipe!
Method
1. Marinate the Pork
Start by preparing the pork mince. In a mixing bowl, combine the pork mince with the marinade ingredients Chinese 5 spice, sugar, ground black pepper, salt, Shaoxing rice wine, and light soy sauce. Use your hands or a spoon to mix everything thoroughly until the pork is well-coated in the marinade. Once it’s well mixed, cover the bowl and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to infuse into the pork, making it extra tasty.
2. Prepare the Potatoes
While the pork is marinating, you can prep the potatoes. Peel and dice the potato into small, bite-sized cubes. Soak the potato cubes in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes. This helps remove some of the starch, ensuring the potatoes fry up crispier and avoid becoming soggy when cooked. Once the potatoes are done soaking, drain the water and set them aside while you move on to the next step.
3. Fry the Potatoes
In a deep saucepan, heat some neutral oil over medium-high heat. You’ll want the oil to be hot enough to fry the potatoes but not so hot that it smokes. Once the oil reaches the right temperature, carefully add the diced potatoes into the pan. Fry the potatoes in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which can cause them to cook unevenly. Fry them until they turn a golden brown, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the oil and place them on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
4. Cook the Aromatics
Next, heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a separate pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and shallot. Stir-fry them for about 1 minute, just until they start to soften. Then, add in the minced garlic and bay leaves. Stir the mixture until the garlic becomes aromatic and the onions start turning translucent. This creates a flavorful base for your Minchi.
5. Cook the Pork
Now it’s time to add the marinated pork to the pan. Add the pork mince to the pan with the cooked aromatics. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, break up the pork into small chunks as it cooks. Continue to cook the pork until it is browned and fully cooked, ensuring there are no large clumps left.
6. Add the Sauces
Once the pork is cooked, it’s time to add all the delicious sauces that will give your Minchi its rich flavor. Pour in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken powder, curry powder, and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together until all the ingredients are well combined. You’ll notice the dish starting to come together, with the sauces giving it a savory and umami-packed flavor. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning as needed. If you find that the sauce is too runny, you can add a cornstarch slurry (a mixture of cornstarch and water) to thicken it up, but in this case, I didn’t feel it was necessary.
7. Combine Everything
Once the sauces are well mixed into the pork, it’s time to add the fried potatoes. Gently stir in the crispy, golden potatoes into the pork mixture until everything is well combined. If you want, save a few fried potatoes to garnish the dish at the end for some added texture. The potatoes will soak up some of the sauce, making them wonderfully flavorful.
8. Serve
Now that your Minchi is ready, it’s time to serve! Serve the dish alongside a bowl of warm white rice for a filling meal. For extra richness, top the Minchi with a fried egg with a runny yolk. This will add a creamy texture and bring the entire dish together. Enjoy!
Necessary Tools
- Deep saucepan or frying pan
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towels
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Third Culture Eats – Minchi
Difficulty: EasyServings
4
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
30
minutesTotal time
50
minutesIngredients
250g pork mince
¼ tsp Chinese 5 spice
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
For the Dish
1 onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 bay leaves
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ – 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for a darker color)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp chicken powder
½ tsp curry powder
A couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 large potato, cut into small cubes
Directions
- Marinate the Pork Start by mixing the pork mince with the marinade ingredients. Give it a good mix and let it sit while you prep the potatoes.
- Prepare the Potatoes Peel and dice the potato into small cubes. Soak the cubes in cold water for about 10 minutes while you get the rest of your ingredients ready.
- Fry the Potatoes Heat up a deep saucepan with neutral oil. Once the oil is hot, add the potato cubes and fry them until they turn golden brown. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take them out and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Cook the Aromatics In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp of neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion and shallot, stirring for about 1 minute. Then, toss in the minced garlic and bay leaf, stir frying until the onions turn translucent and aromatic.
- Cook the Pork Add the marinated pork to the pan and cook it until it browns and becomes crumbly. Make sure to break up any large chunks as it cooks.
- Add the Sauces Pour in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken powder, curry powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. If the sauce is too thin, you can add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it (but I didn’t need to do that).
- Combine Everything Finally, toss in all the fried potatoes and mix everything well. If you want, save some of the fried potatoes to garnish the dish.
- Serve Serve your Minchi with a side of warm white rice and top it with a runny fried egg for that extra richness.
Notes
- Frying Potatoes Be sure to fry the potatoes in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. This will help them cook evenly and become crispy.
- Adjusting Sauces When adding the soy sauces, adjust the dark soy sauce based on how dark you want the color of the dish. You can always add more to get that perfect rich, deep hue.
- Be Careful with Salt The soy sauces and oyster sauce already bring a lot of salt to the dish, so be cautious when adding extra salt to the pork marinade.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this savory, hearty dish with some steamed veggies or a fresh salad to balance out the richness of the Minchi. You can also enjoy it with a side of chili sauce if you like a little extra heat!
Fun Fact
Minchi is a classic comfort food in Macau, and the beauty of it lies in its versatility – it’s one of those dishes that feels familiar no matter how it’s made. Whether you’re having a family meal or serving it at a party, this dish is sure to hit the spot.
Conclusion
Minchi is the ultimate third-culture dish that brings together rich flavors and comforting ingredients in one bowl. Whether you’re a Macanese food lover or someone looking to try something new, this recipe will become a staple in your kitchen. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!
