Rich and Crisp Sausage

Name: Rich and Crisp Sausage
Yield: makes 1 pound
Ingredients: 1 pound (about 2 cups) Multipurpose Meat Paste (page 158); 2 ounces pork fatback, blanched in boiling water for about 1 minute until firm, cooled, and finely diced (generous 1/4 cup); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground; 8-inch-square piece fresh or thawed, frozen banana leaf, trimmed of brown edges, rinsed, and wiped dry; Corn or canola oil for deep-frying (optional)

December 14, 2011

Not only is this sausage in the fancy cha category, like Roasted Cinnamon Sausage (page 163), but it is also sinfully good. Mo means fat, in this case diced pork fatback, which is combined with the classic meat paste and specks of ground pepper. Shaped into a thick disk, the mixture is cooked twice, first steamed and then fried or baked. The two-step process allows you to keep the meat on hand for last-minute cooking, ensuring that it is perfect at serving time. Sliced while still warm, it is crispy on the outside and rich on the inside. For a traditional pairing, serve a few of the slices between steamed sticky rice cakes (page 254).

Cooks' Note

For tips on finding fatback, see page 169.

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