Braised pork mince with daikon radish

September 14, 2010 — droolfactor

One of my favourite root vegetable is the daikon radish. It looks like a giant white carrot, has a very mild flavour and is thus super versatile. It is a good substitute for the jicama which isn’t as easily available in the UK. Not only is it easy to cook with, the daikon radish is also full of Vitamin C and best of all, has very low calorie count per gram. (18 calories per 85gm)

Great for pickling, the daikon radish is a common sight as sweet or spicy pickles in Japanese and Korean cuisine. The Chinese use it in steamed savoury Chinese-style rice cakes, in steamed dumplings, cooked in soup or as a spring roll filler. It can also be eaten raw – shredded in a salad. I’m sure there are many other recipes out there using this humble, little (ok, not so little) root vegetable.

A particular dish that I really enjoy is braised daikon radish with minced pork. Eaten with steamed white rice, drizzled with the braising soy sauce is like putting on warmed furry slippers on a cold winter’s day – totally comforting…mmm…

Here’s my take on this comfort dish.

BRAISED PORK MINCE WITH DAIKON RADISH

1 medium daikon radish, halved and cut into ½ inch slices
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 small thumbsize ginger, finely sliced
400g minced pork
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp preserved soy beans
1 tbsp chilli oil (optional)
1/3 cup water

1. Heat up some vegetable oil in a hot wok. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry quickly for a few seconds, till fragrant. Add in minced pork and stir fry the meat to loosen it. Cook till slightly coloured / brown.
2. Add all the seasoning and stir to mix it through.
3. Add sliced daikon radish, mix well to coat the radish with the sauce.
4. Add water and simmer covered for about 20 minutes on medium – high heat or until the daikon radish is softened but not mushy.