Basil Shredded Spice Tofu Chicken and Cantonese Pork Sausage Chow Mein (紫蘇五香豆腐絲臘腸鷄炒麵, Zi2 Sou1 Ng5 Hoeng1 Dau6 Fu6 Si1 Laap6 Coeng4 Gai1 Caau2 Min6)

I always have a package of Cantonese pork sausage in my refrigerator. The sausages have a characteristic deep red color and provide a tasty addition to any dish, in this case, chow mein noodles. The sausages are dried, so they are dense and hard, and not at all like fresh sausages. The sausages can be purchased at your local Asian market. There are many variations (of content), but this dish uses the pork only version. The sausages are also available lean, with less fat content. Oil may be need to be added to the wok if the lean version is used, otherwise the sausages produce their own oil when cooked.

Enjoy!

Sriracha Capsicum Dipping Sauce (紅油辣椒是拉差香甜辣椒醬, Hung4 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Si6 Laai1 Caa1 Hoeng1 Tim4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zoeng3)

Capsicum in Red Oil and Sriracha Sauce were the basis for making the beef steak marinade in the last recipe: Grilled Sriracha Capsicum Bourbon Rib Eye Steak (燒烤是拉差香甜辣椒醬紅油辣椒波本肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Si⁶ Laai¹ Caa¹ Hoeng¹ Tim⁴ Laat⁶ Ziu¹ Zoeng³ Hung⁴ Jau⁴ Laat⁶ Ziu¹ Bo¹ Bun² Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴). The marinade is slightly spicy (at least to my tastes), but the combination also makes a great dipping sauce. Rather than using soy sauce as the dipping sauce for dim sum, try using this mixture instead.

Enjoy!

Grilled Sriracha Capsicum Bourbon Rib Eye Steak (燒烤是拉差香甜辣椒醬紅油辣椒波本肉眼牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Si6 Laai1 Caa1 Hoeng1 Tim4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zoeng3 Hung4 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Bo1 Bun2 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

Capsicum in Red Oil and Sriracha Sauce are the basis for this easy to make beef steak marinade. The marinade is slightly spicy (at least to my tastes), but you can adjust the amount to suit your personal preference. Bourbon gives the steak added flavor (use your favorite brand). The steak can be marinated for as little as one hour, but ideally should be done overnight. Just make sure to turn the steak over halfway through the marinade time so that both sides of the steak are coated. For the best results, choose a thick cut beef steak for a given weight so as not to overcook the beef.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Garlic Sauce Poblano Chili Chicken (蒜蓉豆豉醬椒鷄, Syun3 Jung4 Dau6 Si6 Zoeng3 Ziu1 Gai1)

Poblano chilies (Capsicum annuum) are a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. When dried, it’s called ancho chili. The chilies have a dark green color that look great in any dish. So rather than using green bell peppers, I substituted Poblano chilies, which gave the dish a very mild spiciness. I used a bottled black bean sauce, but you can easily make your own.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Short Rib and Soybean Stew (燉毛豆仁牛小排, Dan6 Mou4 Dau6 Jan4 Ngau4 Siu2 Paai4)

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 soy bean peas to make this dish. Soy bean peas are edamame, which is commonly used as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants. You can buy them frozen, already peeled (i.e. peas only), at your local Asian market. Notice that rock sugar or dried dates, which are commonly used in Chinese stews, are not used in this dish. The ingredients are browned before being placed in the slow cooker, but if you’re in a hurry, this step can be omitted.

Enjoy!

Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou1 Zai2 Faan6)

Making rice is the most basic dish in Chinese cuisine; without rice you don’t have a meal. The most modern method is the high tech electric rice cooker that cooks the rice to perfection every time, regardless of the type of rice used. When I was growing up, before rice cookers became available, my Mom would make rice the old-fashioned way with a pot. Once our family bought a rice cooker, making rice in a pot was replaced by an electric appliance, where rice was made by pushing a button. When rice is made in a pot, cooked rice sticks to the bottom and gets scorched (burned), which does not happen with an electric rice cooker. After the cooked rice is removed from the pot, there’s a layer of scorched rice that can’t be removed from the pot, so water is added to the pot and boiled again. The scorched rice is released from the bottom of the pot, the rice eaten, and the boiled water drunk (飯注, faan⁶ zyu³). I have always missed eating scorched rice now that rice cookers have replaced pots.

Using a clay pot to make rice is very similar to making rice in a pot. A crust is produced on the bottom of the clay pot, similar to cooking rice in a pot, and you don’t have to reboil to release the scorched rice from the bottom. The taste of the rice is very similar to making rice in a pot. The sequence of cooking the rice in a clay pot is:

1. Pre-heat the clay pot over medium heat for 5 minutes to prevent shocking the clay pot and possible breaking it.
2. Bring the clay pot rice to a boil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
3. Simmer the rice for 15 minutes over low heat.
4. Scorch the rice using medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and allow the clay pot to sit for 10 minutes to release the scorched rice from the bottom.
6. Serve the rice.

Given that there are many variables when cooking rice in a clay pot, the cooked rice will vary from every time you cook it. If more water is used, the rice will take longer to cook. If too little water is used, the rice becomes more al dente and the volume decreases because the rice doesn’t get fluffy. Burner heat will determine how quickly the rice cooks and how scorched the rice will get. You just have to experiment and watch for the indications that signal when the rice is cooked to your personal preference. I now cook my rice using a clay pot and have sidelined my electric rice cooker. Making rice in a clay pot seems like a simple task, but you’ll find that it takes practice to get consistent results.

Enjoy!

Chili Black Bean Asparagus Shabu Shabu Beef Stir Fry (辣椒豆豉蘆筍炒涮涮锅牛肉, Laat6 Ziu1 Dau6 Si6 Lou4 Seon2 Caau2 Saan3 Saan3 Wo1 Ngau4 Juk6)

I used some high quality ingredients to make this simple dish. I found thinly sliced Kobe-style beef used for Shabu Shabu (Japanese hot pot) at a nearby Japanese market on sale and decided to use it in a stir fry dish. The beef is already tender, so there’s no need to use baking soda as a tenderizer. I also used whole Shiitake mushrooms in the dish that I bought at my local Chinese dried goods and herb store. These Shiitake mushrooms are higher quality than those available at Asian markets, and are not much more expensive. These mushrooms are meatier and their outside appearance is more flower like (which is prized in Shiitake mushrooms). Finally, asparagus is the final ingredient used to complete the dish.

Enjoy!