Macanese recipe: Porco Bafassá by Macau Kitchen
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Macanese recipe: Porco Bafassá by Macau Kitchen

This porco bafassá, a turmeric-based Macanese dish of braised and roasted pork, comes from Macau Kitchen in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Porco Bafassá by Macau Kitchen
Porco Bafassá - Photo courtesy of Macau Kitchen
By Gilbert Humphrey
By Gilbert Humphrey
  • 4
    Serves
  • 4 hrs
    Prep time
  • 1.5 hrs
    Cooking time

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg pork belly sliced in 3-4 cm cubes
  • 2 tbsp turmeric
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar or Chinese wine
  • 4 potatoes peeled and cut into slices
  • 6 leeks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 L water
  • 8 tbsp cooking oil

Kei de Freitas, owner and head chef of Macau Kitchen – an award-winning restaurant located in Edinburgh, Scotland – has collected several hundred Macanese cuisine recipes from families in Macao and elsewhere over the years. This recipe for porco bafassá (bafassá pork) – a turmeric-based Macanese dish made by braising (bafa) and roasting (asá) pork – is one of his customers’ most beloved dishes.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Marinate the pork with turmeric, salt, pepper, garlic and white vinegar for a minimum of 4 hours.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a medium-sized pot, add the marinated pork and water, then let it boil for 60 minutes.
3. Loosely tie the leeks into a knot and add them and the bay leaves while the pork is being boiled. After 60 minutes, remove everything from the pan and set aside.
4. Cook the potatoes in the same pan with the water used to boil the pork. This liquid will be used to create a sauce for the dish.
5. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the pork for about 2 minutes, or until its colour turns golden, then transfer to a serving plate.
6. Add the potatoes to the plate and top everything with the leftover sauce used to cook the pork and potatoes.

Chef’s notes: Make sure to wrap the leeks into a loosely-tied knot; this ensures they release their full flavour, and it makes for easier removal. This dish should be served while it’s still very hot.