Bak Kwa/Pork Jerky grilled over charcoal
Bak Kwa, or Chinese style pork jerky, is one of our childhood favourites growing up and it is still a favourite for many of us.
What is Bak Kwa?
Bak – means meat and Bak Kwa means dried meat in Hokkien. It is more like thin slices of moist, sweet, tender and yummylicious grilled meat over charcoal fire (the old fashion way). It has a smoky, caramalised, savoury flavour and a chewy and tender texture at the same time.
Bak Kwa is a pricy delicacy and is normally a popular gift during the Chinese New Year, and it is still so today. Long queues are commonly seen at Bak Kwa shops during the festive season.
Normally, Bak Kwa is made from pork; however, now we can also get Bak Kwa made of chicken, beef and other variations of meat. But pork is still the popular version.
The pork Bak Kwa are commonly made from minced pork, which is juicer, tender and more popular (for my family), and I find it softer and easier to chew. The other type (which I believe to be the more traditional type) is a chewier and tougher texture made from sliced pork. From memory, there is another version where the middle section of the Bak Kwa has a layer of fat (from pork belly), which we eat with a very soft and warm steamed bun.
One of our favourite treats growing up was enjoying the “roti Bak Kwa”, or pork jerky sandwich, from one of the road side stalls along Gurney Drive or outside the cinemas, coupled with other stalls selling “mua chee”, “rojak”, “kachang puteh” and so much more. Even now, when I see Bak Kwa, I am reminded of “roti Bak Kwa”, i.e. pork jerky sandwich, which I still enjoy till today.
One of my many highlights of my Penang trip is to stock up on Bak Kwa at Chowrasta Market. I will visit the local stall early in the morning, hoping to get hold of the bits and pieces (not whole pieces) – which is cheaper. They are purely for my own consumption and not suitable for gifts. I will purchase enough to last me until my flight back to Australia, which I will enjoy throughout the duration of the flight, until before the custom check point!
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