Tau Yu Bak Recipe (Hokkien Soy Sauce Braised Pork)
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Active Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Servings: 4–6
This is my family’s tau yu bak recipe. The pork is fall-apart tender, braised in a savoury soy sauce until the meat soaks up every bit of flavour. No sauteing needed — just place everything into a pot and simmer until done. I used pork shoulder here instead of the traditional pork belly. It is slightly leaner but turns just as tender after 1.5 hours in the pot.
Watch How to Make It
Equipment
Medium saucepan or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid
What Is Tau Yu Bak?
Tau yu bak is a braised pork dish from Hokkien Chinese cuisine, popular in Malaysia and Singapore. In the Hokkien dialect, “tau yu” (豆油) means soy sauce and “bak” (肉) means pork. The pork is cooked low and slow in a soy sauce broth until it is deeply flavoured and tender. The hard-boiled eggs added to the pot absorb the braising liquid over time and turn a rich, dark brown — these are the highlight of the dish alongside the pork.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Serves 4–6
- 1 kg pork shoulder (梅头肉), cut into large chunks
- 8 cloves garlic (8瓣大蒜)
- 1 star anise (1个八角)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs (4个熟蛋), peeled
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce (3汤匙生抽) (buy from Shopee, Lazada and Amazon)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (1汤匙老抽) (buy from Shopee, Lazada and Amazon)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (1茶匙糖)
- 600-800ml water (600-800毫升水)
- salt to taste (盐适量)
How to Make Tau Yu Bak
Step 1 — Prepare the Eggs and Pork
Boil the eggs until hard-boiled, about 10 minutes, then cool under cold water and peel. Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks.
Step 2 — Add Everything to the Pot
Place the pork, garlic, star anise and peeled hard-boiled eggs into a medium pot. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar, then pour in about 600ml of water.
Tip: Add the eggs right at the start so they have the full braising time to absorb the soy sauce and turn deep brown.
Step 3 — Braise
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours, or until the pork is tender and the sauce has deepened in colour.
Step 4 — Season and Serve
Taste and season with salt or a little more soy sauce if needed. Serve hot.
Tips for the Best Tau Yu Bak
- Use pork shoulder or pork belly. Pork shoulder is leaner and works well here. Pork belly gives a richer, more gelatinous result if you prefer that texture.
- Add the eggs from the start. They need the full braising time to absorb the soy sauce and develop that deep brown colour and flavour.
- Don’t rush the simmer. A full 1.5 hours on low heat is what breaks down the connective tissue and gives the pork that tender, fall-apart texture.
- This recipe is less sweet than the original. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add another teaspoon or two of sugar and another tablespoon of dark soy sauce.
What to Serve with Tau Yu Bak
Serve hot over a bowl of steamed white rice, with the braising sauce spooned over the top. Noodles work well too. Add a simple blanched vegetable on the side for a complete meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tau yu bak?
Tau yu bak is a Hokkien braised pork dish popular in Malaysia and Singapore. “Tau yu” means soy sauce in the Hokkien dialect, and “bak” means pork. The pork is slow-cooked in a soy sauce and spice broth until tender and deeply flavoured.
Can I use pork belly instead of pork shoulder?
Yes. Pork belly is the original cut for tau yu bak and gives a richer, more gelatinous result because of the higher fat content. Pork shoulder works well too and is slightly leaner.
Can I make tau yu bak in an instant pot or pressure cooker?
Yes. Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes, then do a natural pressure release. The pork turns out just as tender in a fraction of the time.
Can I make tau yu bak in a slow cooker?
Yes. Use the same timing you would usually follow to braise pork in a slow cooker. The sauce will be thinner — just let it reduce with the lid off for the last 30 minutes if needed.
How do I store leftover tau yu bak?
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavour deepens overnight. Reheat gently in a pot until hot.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out! Don’t forget to tag @ruyiasianrecipes if you share it on social media.
You Might Also Like:
- Steamed Pork Ribs with Mushrooms
- Pork Ribs Soup with Radish and Goji Berries
- Grandma’s Hokkien Bak Chang Recipe
Tau Yu Bak (Hokkien Soy Sauce Braised Pork)
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork shoulder (梅花肉), cut into large chunks
- 8 cloves garlic (8瓣大蒜)
- 1 star anise (1个八角)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs (4个熟蛋), peeled
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce (3汤匙生抽)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (1汤匙老抽)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (1茶匙糖)
- 600-800 ml water (600-800毫升水)
- salt to taste (盐适量)
Instructions
Step 1 — Prepare the Eggs and Pork
- Boil the eggs until hard-boiled, about 10 minutes, then cool under cold water and peel.
- Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks.
Step 2 — Add Everything to the Pot
- Place the pork, garlic, star anise and peeled hard-boiled eggs into a medium pot.
- Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar, then pour in about 600ml of water.
- Tip: Add the eggs right at the start so they have the full braising time to absorb the soy sauce and turn deep brown.
Step 3 — Braise
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours, or until the pork is tender and the sauce has deepened in colour.
Step 4 — Season and Serve
- Taste and season with salt or a little more soy sauce if needed.
- Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Use pork shoulder or pork belly. Pork shoulder is leaner and works well here. Pork belly gives a richer, more gelatinous result if you prefer that texture.
- Add the eggs from the start. They need the full braising time to absorb the soy sauce and develop that deep brown colour and flavour.
- Don’t rush the simmer. A full 1.5 hours on low heat is what breaks down the connective tissue and gives the pork that tender, fall-apart texture.
- This recipe is less sweet than the original. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add another teaspoon or two of sugar and another tablespoon of dark soy sauce.
