Bak kwa – Chinese meat jerky

Ingredients

• 650 gminced pork belly
• 100 ghoney
• 150 glight brown sugar
• 45 ml (3 tbsp)rice wine
• 45 ml (3 tbsp)fish sauce
• 5 ml (1 tsp)sesame oil
• 5 ml (1 tsp)light soy sauce
• 5 ml (1 tsp)soy sauce
• 5 ml (1 tsp)five-spice powder
• 1 dashred food colouring (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix and knead

   Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine by hand until the mixture is firm and dough-like. Then punch, whip and repeatedly lift and slap it back into the bowl until it becomes a sticky, gluey paste; this can take 5–15 minutes.

2. 2

   Spread and chill

   Grease a baking sheet or large, flat baking tin. Spread the meat paste over it in a thin layer, about 3 mm thick, using the back of a spoon to even it out. Leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry slightly and marinate.

3. 3

   Dry the meat

   The next day, dry the meat paste. In a hot, sunny location, the original method suggests leaving it in the sun; otherwise, turn the sheet of paste out onto a wire rack and put it in an oven preheated to 100°C for 20 minutes, with the door slightly ajar.

4. 4

   Cut into shapes

   Once the meat is relatively dry, take it out of the oven and cut it into strips, squares, circles or oblongs. At this stage, the bak kwa can be frozen for up to three months.

5. 5

   Grill until charred

   If using a barbecue, grill the pieces over hot coals until they have a smoky flavour and char marks. Alternatively, preheat a grill to its highest setting and cook the pieces for 10 minutes, until slightly charred. Serve warm or cold.

What is bak kwa?

Bak kwa is a Chinese-style dried meat snack, commonly associated with Chinese New Year and especially popular in Singapore and Malaysia. It is usually made from seasoned, sweetened meat that is dried before being grilled.

This version uses minced pork belly, whose fat helps keep the finished pieces rich and tender. Honey, brown sugar, fish sauce and five-spice build the characteristic sticky, salty-sweet flavour.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1068 calories, 15g protein, 58g carbs, 86g fat.

The pork belly provides most of the fat and protein, while the honey and brown sugar supply most of the carbohydrates. Fish sauce and soy sauces contribute much of the sodium. Pair a piece with vegetables and plain rice, and adjust the portion to suit the rest of the meal.

Why use pork belly?

Pork belly: its high fat content gives the jerky a rich texture and helps prevent it from becoming too dry during grilling. Minced meat also makes it easier to spread into a thin, even layer.

Seasonings: fish sauce and soy sauces supply savoury depth, while rice wine and sesame oil add aromatic notes. Five-spice brings a warm, distinctive fragrance.

Mixing for a cohesive paste

Mixing: start by combining everything until the meat looks like a firm dough. Then keep working it by hand, lifting and slapping it back into the bowl until it turns sticky and gluey.

Texture: the recipe allows 5–15 minutes for this stage, depending on how vigorously you work. A cohesive paste is easier to spread and helps the pieces hold together.

Spreading and drying

Even layer: aim for about 3 mm thickness across the tray, smoothing the paste with the back of a spoon. Thin, even spreading helps the sheet dry at a more consistent rate.

Overnight rest: the uncovered time in the fridge lets the surface dry slightly while the seasoning marinates. The following 20 minutes in a 100°C oven is another drying stage, not the final grilling.

Grilling and doneness

Grill: the recipe uses hot coals for a smoky flavour, or the highest grill setting for 10 minutes as an alternative. Keep a close eye on the pieces, since their sugar-rich coating can darken quickly.

Finish: look for slight charring, as specified in the method, rather than relying only on colour to judge whether minced pork is cooked. For food safety, check that the thickest pieces reach 71°C in the centre.

Serving ideas

Serve the pieces warm or cold as a snack, or add them to a meal with plain rice and vegetables. Their sweet, savoury seasoning makes them especially suited to simple accompaniments.

The method gives no exact finished yield or piece size, so cut the sheet into portions that suit how you plan to serve it. If making it ahead, freeze the dried sheet before grilling, as the recipe suggests.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a large bowl so you have room to lift and slap the meat paste while mixing.
• Spread the paste as evenly as possible so thinner spots do not dry much faster than thicker ones.
• Use the back of a spoon to smooth the paste into an approximately 3 mm layer.
• Keep a close watch during grilling because the honey and sugar can char quickly.
• For food safety, dry the meat in the oven rather than leaving raw minced pork in the sun.
• Check the centre of the thickest pieces with a food thermometer before serving.

Variations

• Skip the colouring: leave out the optional red food colouring for a more natural appearance.
• Use barbecue coals: grill over hot coals for the smoky finish described in the recipe.
• Choose the grill: use the highest grill setting for 10 minutes when a barbecue is not available.
• Cut snack pieces: shape the dried sheet into small squares for easy serving.
• Freeze ahead: freeze the dried, ungrilled pieces for up to three months, as suggested by the method.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Stopping the mixing early: keep working the meat until it becomes a sticky, cohesive paste.
• Uneven spreading: smooth the layer to about 3 mm so it dries more evenly.
• Leaving raw meat in the sun: use the oven-drying method instead to avoid unsafe handling.
• Grilling unattended: watch closely because the sugary surface can char quickly.
• Judging doneness by colour alone: check that the centre of the thickest pieces reaches 71°C.

How to store

The recipe suggests freezing the dried, ungrilled bak kwa for up to three months. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in a sealed container and use within 3–4 days; reheat until steaming hot, or serve cold as the method allows.

Frequently asked questions