Noodles in Sauce (乾撈麵, Gon1 Lou1 Min6)

This recipe was updated on 19 Mar 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

This is also one of the first dishes I ever learned how to cook, so it is really simple to prepare. In its simplest form, the ingredients are just noodles, oyster sauce, and green onions (this version adds chicken and eggs), so the dish is really just stir fried noodles with oyster sauce. The name of this recipe - Noodles in Sauce (乾撈麵, Gon¹ Lou¹ Min⁶) -  is more the result of the direct translation from Cantonese and is somewhat of a misnomer since there isn’t much sauce in the dish. There’s also another similar recipe for Chicken and Chinese Broccoli Noodles (芥蘭鷄乾撈麵, Gaai³ Laan⁴ Gai¹ Gon¹ Lou¹ Min⁶).

Enjoy!

Grilled Beef Tri Tip

This recipe was updated on 14 Aug 2014. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Beef tri tip grilled with hickory or oak wood is a very tasty treat for me, since I don’t cook this very often. You must first rim all the excess fat from the tri tip and then marinate the beef overnight before grilling. Even when the supermarket sells a trimmed beef tri tip, you still have to get out your trusty sharp knife and remove the excess fat.  I use a spicy Asian inspired marinade, which is certainly not the usual Santa Maria spiced version (where the dish originated). Surprisingly it doesn’t take too long to grill a beef tri tip, but grilling time depends upon the heat of your grill and the thickness of the beef tri tip. The tri tip is perfectly prepared when the interior is medium rare and the outside has a crunchy crust. In this case, I overcooked the tri tip and reduced the recipe grilling times. Your mileage may vary.

Enjoy!

Braised Pork Spareribs with Salted Black Beans (豆豉燴排骨, Dau6 Si6 Wui6 Paai4 Gwat1)

 

This recipe was updated on 07 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

This is another favorite dish of mine. Pork spareribs, black beans, Shiitake mushrooms, and long beans make a great combination when combined into one dish. If cooked correctly, the pork spareribs are tender, the long beans are crunchy, and the Shiitake mushrooms flavorful.

Enjoy!

Lamb Dough Sliced Noodles (小羊炒刀削麵, Siu2 Joeng4 Caau2 Dou1 Soek3 Min6)

This recipe was updated on 03 May 2015. A new recipe, Cabbage Lamb Dough Sliced Noodles (青椰菜羊肉刀削麵, Ceng¹ Je⁴ Coi³ Joeng⁴ Juk⁶ Dou¹ Soek³ Min⁶), was introduced and is now the way I prepare this dish.

 

I got introduced to this dish at the local Chinese Muslim restaurant. For some reason, I omitted the scrambled eggs that are usually part of this dish, but the recipe includes the eggs. You also usually eat this dish with green onion bread or pancakes, which you can find in the freezer section of your local Asian market. Dough sliced noodles are aptly named since the thick noodles are sliced from a block of dough. The noodles have a chewy doughy texture, unlike normal chow mein noodles. The dough sliced noodles can also be found in the freezer section at your local Asian market.

Enjoy!

Hickory Smoked Garlic Rosemary Pork Rib Roast with Pan Vegetables

 

This recipe was updated on 30 June 2013. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

This is one of my favorite roasts to make. Pork rib roasts only appear in the USA around this time of year (early Spring for Easter) or late in the year (for Thanksgiving and Christmas). You can, of course, special request a pork rib roast anytime from your friendly local butcher. I happen to have many rosemary bushes growing in my backyard that seem to supply an endless amount of fresh rosemary anytime of the year. So it’s natural to include rosemary with any pork roast that I make using my gas grill, which together with hickory wood, gives this roast a great flavor. Did I mention that there’s also a bunch of garlic on top of the roast? Finely sliced garlic is placed into slits made into the roast, so the exposed garlic is toasted and the garlic in the roast infuses the meat with more flavor.

Enjoy!

Bell Pepper Beef (青椒牛肉, Ceng1 Ziu1 Ngau4 Juk6)

 

This recipe was updated on 12 Jun 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Bell peppers and seem to make the perfect combination in a dish together with a black bean sauce. The crunchiness of the bell peppers contrasts with the softness of the beef, and saltiness of the black beans goes nicely with the bell pepper’s sweetness. The recipe is written using salted black beans, but you can always use a prepared black bean sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee brand black bean garlic sauce) or make a spicier version using Laoganma brand black bean with chili sauce. The picture for this dish is actually for the version using black bean chili sauce.

Enjoy!

Fish Tofu with Snow Peas (荷蘭豆魚豆腐, Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Jyu4 Dau6 Fu6)

This recipe was updated 18 Sep 2014. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

When I first saw fish tofu at the Asian grocery store, I wondered what is this ingredient and how is it used? I’ve never used it before and had no idea what it tasted like. So like all impulse buys, I bought the fish tofu first and figured out what to do with it second. It turns out that fish tofu is just what the name implies; fish paste and tofu mixed together, formed into cakes, and then fried. When you eat the fish tofu, it has the texture of tofu and tastes like fish cakes.

The fish tofu is usually frozen, but my local Asian grocery store has them available in the refrigerated seafood section ready to use. The Taiwan Food Products (Canada) site has a Fried Fish Tofu recipe that I used as the basis for this making this dish. You can use any vegetable in this dish, I happen to have snow peas.

Enjoy!