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Be celeng base manis (Balinese sweet soy pork)
Pork shoulder braised with shallots, garlic, galangal and kecap manis until sticky and tender
IndonesianBe celeng base manis means "pork in sweet spices" in Balinese, and it is cooked in Hindu households around Galungan, when pork is prepared on Penampahan, the day before the festival, and shared with family and the temple. Chunks of pork shoulder are braised slowly with plenty of shallots, garlic, ginger and galangal in kecap manis, the thick Indonesian sweet soy sauce, until the meat is soft and the sauce has turned dark, sticky and glossy. It is sweet, savoury and only gently warm, so it suits everyone at the table. Serve it with steamed rice, a crisp vegetable such as long beans and some sambal for those who want heat. Chef's tip: let the sauce reduce only in the last 15 minutes, uncovered, so it coats the pork without burning.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pork
- 2 ¼ lb boneless pork shouldercut into 4 cm chunks
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
For the spice paste
- 10 shallotspeeled
- 1 oz galangalsliced
- ⅔ oz fresh gingersliced
- 2 large red chilliesseeded
For the braise
- 1 lemongrass stalkbruised
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ cups water
To serve
- 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Blend 10 shallots, 8 garlic cloves, 1 oz galangal, ⅔ oz fresh ginger and 2 large red chillies to a coarse paste.
5 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat and brown the 2 ¼ lb boneless pork shoulder in two batches for 5–6 minutes, until golden on several sides. Lift out.
12 minStep 3: Lower the heat to medium, add the paste with 1 lemongrass stalk and 2 salam leaves (Indonesian bay) and fry for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until golden and fragrant and the oil separates.
8 minStep 4: Return the pork and stir in 5 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp palm sugar, ½ tsp salt and 2 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil.
4 minStep 5: Cover and simmer over a low heat for 45–50 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pork is very tender and pulls apart with a fork. Common mistake: letting it boil hard; the pork tightens up and the sweet sauce catches on the bottom.
48 minStep 6: Uncover, raise the heat to medium and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is dark, glossy and thick enough to cling to the pork, and the pork is well above 160°F.
12 minStep 7: Remove the leaves and lemongrass and serve scattered with 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots, with steamed rice. It tastes even better the next day; keep it in the fridge for 3 days and reheat until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does be celeng base manis (Balinese sweet soy pork) take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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