Steamed Red Tilapia (蒸紅鯽魚, Zing1 Hung4 Zak1 Jyu4)

Red tilapia is visually appealing fish, as well as being inexpensive. The fish is a good choice for steaming and is readily available at my local Asian market. I usually get an already freshly prepared fish, but a whole live fish (with the head) is also a good option.

The fish is always finished with heated oil and a soy sauce mixture. You can use a small pot or a wok to heat the mixtures, but I’ve been using the microwave to heat the soy sauce mixture. As always, you need to be very careful when you pour heated oil and liquids on the fish, as the hot oil and liquid will pop and splatter off the fish.

Enjoy!

Mesquite Grilled Two Pepper Boneless Beef Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木兩椒肉眼牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Loeng5 Ziu1 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

I keep Szechuan peppercorns in a pepper grinder along with a pepper grinder containing the usual black peppercorns that’s found in every kitchen in the USA. I used both ground Szechuan and black peppercorns, together with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (you can substitute regular salt if you don’t have the seasoned salt), to season a boneless beef rib eye steak before grilling with mesquite (any smoking wood can be substituted). This is a very basic grill seasoning that adds spicy ground Szechuan peppercorns. The amount of seasoning used is a personal preference, so feel free to adjust the amounts.

Like the Mesquite Grilled Boneless Beef Chuck Steak (燒烤豆科灌木牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴), Mesquite Grilled Barbeque Sauce Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木燒烤醬肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Siu¹ Saau¹ Zoeng³ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴), and Oak Grilled Dungeness Crab and Beef Rib Eye Steak (燒烤橡木北美大肉蟹肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Zoeng⁶ Muk⁶ Bak¹ Mei⁵ Daai⁶ Juk⁶ Haai⁵ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) recipes, I’ve totally changed the way I grill beef steaks after reading the method used by America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe was for rib-eye steaks, but it can be used for other cuts of beef and other meats (e.g. pork). Their method produces a charred exterior with a tender medium-rare interior, and uses both the oven and the grill. The basic premise for their method is to preheat the steak in the oven before grilling the steak over a hot fire to produce the desired results. I adapted the method to use the grill only to produce similar results. In my previous grilling recipes, I would place the meat over a hot fire first to char the outside and then move the meat to the cool side of the grill to roast and/or smoke. This produced a charred exterior and medium-rare interior, but the medium-rare interior was sandwiched between a well-done exterior, whereas the America’s Test Kitchen method produced a consistent medium-rare interior without the well-done exterior layers.

So my adaptation is to reverse the previous order of cooking the meat to first pre-heat the meat on the cool side of the grill to smoke it before moving to the hot side to char. This produces similar results to America’s Test Kitchen’s original method even though the fire is reduced in heat when the meat is charred after pre-heating, and you don’t need to use your oven. The new method does take longer to cook the meat, but it’s worth the extra time to get the desired results. The cooking time varies with the thickness of the meat, temperature of the fire, and your previous experience with the barbeque grill, so you’ll have to experiment a little to get the desired results. I think if you try cooking steaks using my adapted method, you’ll also change the way you grill meat.

Enjoy!

Snow Pea Shrimp and Dungeness Crab (荷蘭豆蝦北美大肉蟹, Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Haa1 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5)

This is a luxurious seafood dish using shrimp and cooked Dungeness crab meat with Shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, and eggs. A minimum amount of sauce is used in this dish to allow the flavors of the ingredients to come through. I happen to live in an area where freshly cooked whole Dungeness crab can be obtained seasonally (you just have to take the time to remove the meat from the shell), but you can substitute any cooked crab meat; fresh, frozen, or canned. I originally made this dish for the Lunar New Year and the dish certainly matched the occasion.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Oil Poblano Chili Chicken (黑豆辣椒油椒鷄, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Ziu1 Gai1)

This recipe is similar to the previously posted, Black Bean Garlic Sauce Poblano Chili Chicken (蒜蓉豆豉醬椒鷄, Syun³ Jung⁴ Dau⁶ Si⁶ Zoeng³ Ziu¹ Gai¹), recipe. The black bean chili oil makes the dish just slightly, but not overly spicy. 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.

Enjoy!

Mesquite Grilled Ground Chili Garlic Oil New York Steak (燒烤豆科灌木蒜油辣椒醬肉眼牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Syun3 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zoeng3 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

Like the Mesquite Grilled Barbeque Sauce Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木燒烤醬肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Siu¹ Saau¹ Zoeng³ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) recipe, I’ve totally changed the way I grill beef steaks after reading the method used by America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe was for rib-eye steaks, but it can be used for other cuts of beef and other meats (e.g. pork). Their method produces a charred exterior with a tender medium-rare interior, and uses both the oven and the grill. The basic premise for their method is to preheat the steak in the oven before grilling the steak over a hot fire to produce the desired results. I adapted the method to use the grill only to produce similar results. In my previous grilling recipes, I would place the meat over a hot fire first to char the outside and then move the meat to the cool side of the grill to roast and/or smoke. This produced a charred exterior and medium-rare interior, but the medium-rare interior was sandwiched between a well-done exterior, whereas the America’s Test Kitchen method produced a consistent medium-rare interior without the well-done exterior layers.

So my adaptation is to reverse the previous order of cooking the meat to first pre-heat the meat on the cool side of the grill to smoke it before moving to the hot side to char. This produces similar results to America’s Test Kitchen’s original method even though the fire is reduced in heat when the meat is charred after pre-heating, and you don’t need to use your oven. The new method does take longer to cook the meat, but it’s worth the extra time to get the desired results. The cooking time varies with the thickness of the meat, temperature of the fire, and your previous experience with the barbeque grill, so you’ll have to experiment a little to get the desired results. I think if you try cooking steaks using my adapted method, you’ll also change the way you grill meat.

Enjoy!

Black Vinegar Sugar Snap Pea Shabu Shabu Pork Stir Fry (黑米醋蜜豆炒涮涮锅豬肉, Hak1 Mai5 Cou3 Mat6 Dau6 Caau2 Saan3 Saan3 Wo1 Zyu1 Juk6)

Here’s another stir fry dish using Shabu Shabu pork, which is thinly sliced pork and can be found at your local Japanese or Asian market. You can always substitute thinly sliced pork loin or butt cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces if you’re unable to obtain Shabu Shabu pork. Black vinegar is the basis for the sauce and provides a nice taste contrast to the richness of the pork.

Enjoy!

Doubanjiang Scallop and Shabu Shabu Beef Rib Eye Stir Fry (郫縣豆瓣酱炒扇貝涮涮锅肉眼牛排, Pei4 Jyun6 Dau6 Faan6 Zoeng3 Caau2 Sin3 Bui3 Saan3 Saan3 Wo1 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

Doubanjiang is a spicy fermented broad bean paste. When using Doubanjiang, the paste is first stir fried until the paste turns a dark red color and then the meat is stir fried in the Doubanjiang. Stir frying the Doubanjiang enhances the flavor and is similar in technique to stir frying curry paste in curry dishes. Stir frying the Doubanjiang and the meat is done at the end of the cooking process, which is different from usual stir fry dishes where the meat is cooked first.

Scallops and Shabu Shabu Beef Rib Eye is a stir fried version of the American classic combination dish referred to as “surf and turf”, where “surf” is the seafood and “turf” is the beef. This spicy stir fried version of surf and turf uses thin sliced beef rib eye usually destined for Shabu Shabu, which is a Japanese dish where the beef is swished in a hot broth before eating. The thin sliced beef can be purchased at your local Asian market (usually frozen). In this case I got the Shabu Shabu beef rib eye fresh from my local Japanese market.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Scallops (扇貝, sin3 bui3)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 lb.	500 g.	Shabu Shabu beef rib eye (涮涮锅肉眼牛排, saan3 saan3 wo1 juk6 ngaan5 ngau4 paai4)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 lb.	500 g.	Sugar snap peas (蜜豆, mat6 dau6)
8 oz.	227 g.	One package fried tofu (油炸豆腐, jau4 zaa3 dau6 fu6)
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung1), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), thinly sliced
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), thinly sliced
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Salted black bean (豆豉, dau6 si6)
3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang (郫縣豆瓣酱, pei4 jyun6 dau6 faan6 zoeng3) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

Equipment

		Garlic press
8 qt.	7.5 L.	Pot to parboil the beef tripe
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Sichuan Pixiandouban Brand Doubanjiang
(郫縣豆瓣酱, pei4 jyun6 dau6 faan6 zoeng3)

1. If using frozen scallops, thaw the scallops overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator. Take the scallops out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Marinate the scallops with corn starch, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.
2. Marinate the Shabu Shabu beef rib eye in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the beef overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Wash and remove the string from the sugar snap peas by grasping each sugar snap pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the sugar snap pea with the other.
4. Open and drain any liquid from the fried tofu package.
5. Thinly slice the ginger and garlic and put into a small bowl.
6. Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal.
7. Wash and lightly crush the salted black beans in a small bowl. Put the Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang or equivalent into the bowl and mix the ingredients together.
8. Prepare and mix the other sauce ingredients in another small bowl: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil and then the scallops. Stir fry the scallops until brown by forming one layer of scallops in the wok and leaving the scallops alone for a while before flipping it over to brown the other side. You may have to stir fry the scallops in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the browned scallops to a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fried tofu. Stir fry the fried tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the scallops.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the sugar snap peas. Stir fry to brown the sugar snap peas. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Transfer the contents of the wok to the bowl with the scallops.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the Doubanjiang. Stir fry the Doubanjiang until it becomes darker (red) in color before adding the beef. Stir fry to brown the beef before adding the green onions and the contents of the bowl with the scallops back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
5. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the wok and mix the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.