You'll find very different versions of bak kut teh ("pork bone tea") in Singapore and Malaysia. The former is strong, almost hot, with pepper, especially white pepper, while the Malaysian style is fragrant with Chinese herbs and spices. I love both, but the ingredients for the latter can be difficult to find, so at home, I cook the Singaporean version.
I use whole peppercorns and grind them myself because the flavour is better than the pre-ground spice. The result is quite peppery, and if you want it milder, use only two teaspoons of white peppercorns. Cassia bark is often labelled as cinnamon, even though it is not the same. True cinnamon is thin and easy to break into pieces using just your fingers, while cassia bark is thicker and harder.
Put the pepper, cassia bark and star anise into a spice bag (which looks like a tea bag) that's large enough for the spices to swim – if the bag is too small, the spices won’t release their flavour. Be sure to secure the top of the bag with twine, or the spices (especially the crushed pepper) might escape.
Bak kut teh is the perfect dish to make in a multicooker or pressure cooker, but if you don't have either one, just simmer it on the stovetop in a regular large pot - it will just take longer.
Broths cooked under pressure are clearer than those made conventionally, which need to be skimmed to remove impurities. I still like to blanch the bones first, though, which adds a step (and about 10 minutes) to the process. I do this in a regular pot rather than the multicooker, because by the time you heat it, cook briefly, then let it cool sufficiently to open the lid, you don’t save any time.
If you use a stovetop pressure cooker, which has higher pressure than an electric multicooker, cook the bak kut teh for about 30 minutes in total, or until the meat is tender.
