May Chow is a Canadian-born Hong Kong chef and owner of critically acclaimed restaurants Little Bao and Happy Paradise here in Hong Kong. She won the tile of Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2017. She was also Tatler’s two-time local champion and a guest judge on MasterChef Asia and UK and Top Chef in the USA.
Little Bao has joined the European Quality Pork from Denmark’s restaurant promotion this year, and Chef Chow has been creating recipes especially for the campaign. We are so happy to see this acclaimed chef creating dishes using Danish pork.
Chef Chow’s “lu rou” Scotch egg at Little Bao
This is the third year of the European Quality Pork from Denmark campaign. It aims to promote European pork – a high-quality, safe and sustainable pork option. The restaurant promotion is taking place in Hong Kong from 21 June–21 July 2021.
Here, Chef Chow shares her culinary journey, tips for cooking with pork and more.
How did your love of cooking begin?
My love of cooking began as a young kid watching Yan Can Cook [PBS cooking show] and cooking alongside my Shanghainese mother.
Which one of your European pork dishes is your personal favourite?
My favourite is the Taiwanese truffle pork belly rice bowl (lu rou fan) as it is a simple elevation, and it’s a comfort bowl that can bring joy to the whole family.
In your opinion, why is it important that the pork you use follows specific quality and safety regulations? Can you feel and see the difference?
We all want comfort and trust in knowing how pork is humanely processed and quality assured when we’re nurturing our family, loved ones and customers. From packaging to handling, as well as transparency in its safety regulations, its feels reassuring that the highest standards are implemented, so we can serve worry free.
What sets European pork apart from other pork you’ve cooked with?
I use some of the best pork available, and I believe European pork flavour profiles match the needs of Chinese recipes. It’s flavourful, meaty, juicy and clean.
“I use some of the best pork available, and I believe European pork flavour profiles match the needs of Chinese recipes. It’s flavourful, meaty, juicy and clean.”
– Chef May Chow
What are your tips for cooking pork from Denmark to make it tasty and tender?
Oftentimes, pork is overcooked, due to fear of contamination or bacteria. To prevent that, I believe brining or marinating pork ensures its juiciness and tenderness. But as European pork has the highest safety standards, we can focus on cooking it to its optimal juiciness without fear of it being undercooked.
What do you think are the easiest cuts of pork for beginners to start cooking with?
I think braising pork belly is the easiest because you can pre-prep the meat and just braise over a certain amount of time until it is soft and succulent. It is simple to reheat for dinnertime, and you can adjust the flavouring in between, which takes a lot of pressure off people waiting around for dinner, and one can spend more quality time with people they love at the dining table.
Do you have any go-to ingredients that you like to use that go really well with pork?
For me, being Shanghainese, I love Shaoxing wine, ginger, scallion, soy sauce and rock sugar. I love a bit of sweetness in braised sauces.
You just had a successful dinner event, cooking with your mother. Are there any plans for another? Are you forbidden from using any of your “secret” family recipes as a chef?
For us, there is no family secret except really cooking with love. Both my mom and I love sharing, and if it means more people get to eat what we love at home, the merrier. So I look forward to sharing some of our favourite recipes with everyone.
We don’t have any plans yet for another event, but it has inspired our upcoming menu additions at Little Bao and Happy Paradise.
Click to watch the European Quality Pork from Denmark cooking videos by Chef Chow
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