Slow Cooker Chinese-Style Red Wine Beef Short Ribs (燉紅酒牛肋骨, Dan6 Hung4 Zau2 Ngau4 Lak6 Gwat1)

This recipe uses beef short ribs cut that are not flanken cut, where the ribs are cut thinly across all the bones leaving the connective meat intact for dishes such as Los Angeles Style Korean Barbeque Beef Short Ribs - L.A. Galbi (L.A. 갈비), but the English cut where each individual rib is separated and then cut into pieces. Chinese stew spices - star anise, cassia bark or cinnamon sticks, ginger, garlic, and dried tangerine peel – are used together with red wine to make this dish. So you can also think of this as a red wine beef short rib stew with Chinese spices. Notice that rock sugar or dried dates, which are commonly used in Chinese stews, are not used in this dish. The natural sweetness from the red wine suffices in this recipe and any added sugar would make the dish too sweet. The ingredients are browned (except the daikon) before being placed in the slow cooker, but if you’re in a hurry, this step can be omitted.

Enjoy!

Chili Oil Bean Curd Salted Radish Fuzzy Melon Pork (紅油腐乳菜脯節瓜豬肉, Hung4 Jau4 Fu6 Jyu5 Coi3 Pou2 Zit3 Gwaa1 Zyu1 Juk6)

Here’s another recipe using thinly sliced pork, this time using bean curd, salted radish, and fuzzy melon. The previous recipe: Chili Black Bean Bitter Melon Pork (辣椒豆豉苦瓜豬肉, Laat⁶ Ziu¹ Dau⁶ Si⁶ Fu² Gwaa¹ Zyu¹ Juk⁶), used a black bean sauce. I used a salted radish made in China rather than Thailand because the radish is more sweet than salty. Thinly sliced meat is used for a Japanese dish called Shabu Shabu. The raw meat is dipped into a stock with chopsticks, moved around quickly in the stock to cook, and then dipped into a sauce before eating. The meat (typically beef) can be found at your local Japanese or Asian market. For this recipe, thinly sliced pork butt is stir fried with other ingredients rather than using it for Shabu Shabu. Thinly sliced Berkshire pork can be substituted to make this dish also.

Enjoy!

Chili Black Bean Bitter Melon Pork (辣椒豆豉苦瓜豬肉, Laat6 Ziu1 Dau6 Si6 Fu2 Gwaa1 Zyu1 Juk6)

Thinly sliced meat is used for a Japanese dish called Shabu Shabu. The raw meat is dipped into a stock with chopsticks, moved around quickly in the stock to cook, and then dipped into a sauce before eating. The meat (typically beef) can be found at your local Japanese or Asian market. For this recipe, thinly sliced pork butt is stir fried with other ingredients rather than using it for Shabu Shabu. I used thinly sliced Berkshire pork to make a noodle dish previously: Black Pepper Sauce Kurobuta Pork Chow Mein (黑椒汁豬肉炒麵, Hak¹ Ziu¹ Zap¹ Zyu¹ Juk⁶ Caau² Min⁶), and that meat can be substituted to make this dish also.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chili Garlic Sauce Hard Apple Cider Black Pepper Pork Ribeye Steaks (燒烤蒜蓉辣椒酱蘋果酒黑椒豬排, Siu1 Haau1 Syun3 Jung4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zoeng3 Ping4 Gwo2 Zau2 Hak1 Ziu1 Zyu1 Paai4)

This is a spicier version of the Grilled Hard Apple Cider Black Pepper Pork Ribeye Steaks (燒烤蘋果酒黑椒豬排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Ping⁴ Gwo² Zau² Hak¹ Ziu¹ Zyu¹ Paai⁴) recipe using chili garlic sauce as part of the hard apple cider and soy sauce marinade. You can of course use regular apple cider in place of the hard apple cider; just use whatever’s available. The marinade is discarded and freshly ground black pepper is used to coat the pork before grilling.

Enjoy!

Oyster Sauce Bitter Melon Beef (蠔油苦瓜牛肉, Hou4 Jau4 Fu2 Gwaa1 Ngau4 Juk6)

This was a taste combination that I thought would not work together – oyster sauce and bitter melon. I thought the flavors would clash, but after making the dish, I can say that this was not the case. The combination tastes pretty good together when combined with beef and Shiitake mushrooms. I think this works because of the slight sweetness of the oyster sauce and the bitterness of the bitter melon complimenting each other. You have to like the taste of bitter melon for this recipe to be a success in your kitchen.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chili Garlic Sauce Hard Apple Cider Black Pepper Turkey Wings (燒烤蒜蓉辣椒酱蘋果酒黑椒火雞翼, Siu1 Haau1 Syun3 Jung4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zoeng3 Ping4 Gwo2 Zau2 Hak1 Ziu1 Fo2 Gai1 Jik6)

I used a bottle of hard apple cider, chili garlic sauce, and soy sauce as the basis for the marinade for this grilled turkey wing recipe. You can of course use regular apple cider in place of the hard apple cider; just use whatever’s available. The marinade is discarded and freshly ground black pepper is used to coat the turkey before grilling.

Enjoy!

Black Pepper Sauce Kurobuta Pork Chow Mein (黑椒汁豬肉炒麵, Hak1 Ziu1 Zap1 Zyu1 Juk6 Caau2 Min6)

Here’s another recipe using Kurobuta (aka Berkshire) pork, which is a heritage breed with more flavor. The last recipes to use Kurobuta pork were made with spareribs in a clay pot: Clay Pot Black Bean Sauce Kurobuta Pork Spareribs (砂煲豆豉豬排骨, Saa¹ Bou¹ Dau⁶ Si⁶ Zyu¹ Paai⁴ Gwat¹) and Clay Pot Basil Pork Sparerib and Fish Ball (砂煲紫蘇魚蛋豬排骨, Saa¹ Bou¹ Zi² Sou¹ Jyu⁴ Daan⁶ Zyu¹ Paai⁴ Gwat¹). This recipe uses thinly sliced Kurobuta pork butt in a stir fry noodle dish. Regular pork butt sliced thinly can be used if Kurobuta is not available at your local Asian market.

I was asked recently about making the dishes found on this blog when a particular manufacturer’s brand was specified in the recipe. If you notice in the ingredient list where a brand is specified, I specify a brand and add the words “or equivalent”. For this recipe, I’ve specified Lee Kum Kee’s brand of Black Pepper Sauce. Lee Kum Kee is not the only manufacturer of Black Pepper Sauce, so while it is the brand I use, feel free to substitute another manufacturer’s Black Pepper Sauce (which would be the “or equivalent) that’s easily available to you. Adapt your recipe to use the local ingredients and brands, and don’t worry about using the exact brand specified.

Enjoy!