Kabocha stuffed with pork gives a braise with a sweet sauce and rings of squash that stay soft without collapsing. The filling of gio song mixed with ground pork holds its shape through the braise.
The hard part is the heat, since too long in the pot and the squash falls apart. The squash is cut into 3cm rings, hollowed out and filled, then browned before it goes into the pot. Shredded wood ear and carrot in the filling add bite, and it suits a light dinner.
This batch weighs about 436g, at roughly 96 calories per 100g.
Method
Mix the gio song, ground pork, wood ear and carrot together. Season with 1/2 teaspoon minced shallot, 1/2 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder and 1/3 teaspoon black pepper, and leave to take on the flavor.
Peel the squash, cut it into rings 3cm thick, hollow out the centers and pack in the filling. Cut the spring onion into lengths and the red horn chili into 3cm diagonal slices.
Heat the cooking oil and brown the stuffed rings on both sides.
Add water to cover the squash, braise over low heat and season with 1 teaspoon MSG and 5 tablespoons soy sauce.
Keep braising over low heat until the liquid has reduced and the squash is soft, then add the red horn chili, scatter over the spring onion and turn off the heat.
Tips
Brown the surface of the squash before braising so it takes the seasoning rather than tasting bland.
Braise only until the squash is just tender and the filling is cooked, as longer makes it collapse.
Pack the filling moderately firmly, since packing it too tight leaves it crumbly once cooked.
Wring out the soaked wood ear mushrooms so the filling is not wet.
Raw pork paste (gio song) mixed into the ground pork is what binds the filling, and without it the filling drops out of the squash rings.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.