Red-Cooked Pork Belly (红烧肉)

Red-Cooked Pork Belly (红烧肉)

Equipment:
clay pot or dutch oven

Ingredients:

Parboil

1,000 g pork belly
150 g ginger, sliced

Braise

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon sugar
90 g large scallion, white part cut into 3-inch pieces
3 dried red chili peppers
1 teaspoon red Sichuan peppercorns
2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 star anise
1 1-inch piece cassia bark (or cinnamon bark)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250 ml) water

Method:

1. Parboil — Bring a pot of water to boil. Immerse entire slab of pork belly with ginger. Remove any scum that surfaces. After five minutes, discard water and rinse meat and ginger with cold water. Slice pork belly into 1-inch cubes.

2. Braise — Heat cooking oil and sugar in a clay pot over low flame and let the sugar begin to melt. Toss in the pork pieces and ginger with scallion, chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns and brown over high flame. Add Shaoxing wine and dark soy sauce while continuing to stir fry. Add salt, star anise, cassia bark and water. Bring to a gentle boil then simmer over lowest flame, covered for at least 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

Serves 6-8 people with a dinner serving 6-8 dishes.

Cook’s Note:

To convert the measurement, please check out the Conversion tool.

Chinese-style Roast Chicken

Chinese-style Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken, about 2 1/2 – 3 lbs
4 garlic, lightly pounded
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced

Marinade:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon Chinese rose wine (or Shaoxing wine)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 dashes white pepper

Skin Coating:

1 tablespoon Chinese rice vinegar (clear in color)
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Chinese rose wine

Method:

Clean the chicken with water and pat dry inside and out. Truss the chicken. (I did only the legs part and not whole body.)

Mix the Marinade ingredients well in a small bowl and rub it generously on the skin of the chicken and also the cavity. Insert the garlic and ginger inside the cavity and then transfer it into a Ziploc bag. Pour the remaining Marinade into the bag and marinate the chicken overnight. You can turn the plastic bag to make sure that the chicken is evenly marinated.

The next morning, mix the Skin Coating ingredients well in a small bowl. Take the chicken out of the plastic bag, discard the garlic and ginger in the cavity and scald the chicken with hot boiling water by pouring the water all over the chicken (this will remove the Marinade on the chicken skin.) Air dry the chicken for about 30 minutes at room temperature or until the skin surface is no longer wet. You can turn on a fan. Rub the Skin Coating mixture evenly on the chicken skin. Continue to air dry for about 3 hours. Turn the chicken over to air dry both sides.

Heat up the oven to 400 Degrees F. Place the chicken in a roasting pan (at the lower rack) and roast for about 10-12 minutes on one side and then turn to the other side. (If the chicken browns too fast in the first 10 minutes, cover the chicken with a layer of aluminum foil and uncover it towards the end so the skin doesn’t get too dark too quickly.) Roast for about 45 minutes or an hour, or until the skin turn nicely brown or golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool a little bit, cut up and serve immediately. Save the juice from the chicken and serve with steamed rice.

Teochew Braised Duck (Lo Ack/滷鸭)

Teochew Braised Duck (Lo Ack/滷鸭) Recipe
As a newlywed, Rosalind Yeo learned how to make this dish from her mother-in-law using a Chinese rice bowl as a measuring implement. The recipe is now a family favorite, often served at Chinese New Year as well as for everyday meals. While this is essentially a Teochew (or Chaozhou) dish, the addition of lemongrass and galangal is very Southeast Asian. The sweetness of the duck contrasts sharply with the tart dipping sauce, resulting in a tingly sweet-sour sensation in your mouth.

Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours (30 minutes active)
Makes: 4 to 6 servings as part of a multicourse family-style meal

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sea or kosher salt, divided
4- to 5-pound duck, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
2 cups water, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
2 plump stalks lemongrass, trimmed, bruised, and halved
1-inch piece fresh galangal, smashed
1 tablespoon sugar
4 whole cloves
4 star anise pods
Two 2-inch sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Method：

Rub 1½ tablespoons of the salt evenly all over the duck, including inside the cavity.

In a large wok or Dutch oven (or any vessel large enough to hold the whole duck), mix together the water, soy sauce, lemongrass, galangal, sugar, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, and remaining salt. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Gently lower the duck into the wok. The liquid should reach halfway up the duck. Top it off with additional water if necessary.

For the first 20 minutes, baste the duck every 5 minutes or so to color it evenly. Cover and simmer for another 40 to 60 minutes, or until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, flipping the duck halfway through cooking. If the sauce looks like it’s drying up, add more water, ¼ cup at a time.

Total cooking time should be 1 to 1½ hours. To check for doneness, poke the duck in the thigh with a chopstick. If the juices run clear, the duck is cooked. Or, use a meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.

Turn off the heat and leave the duck immersed in the sauce for another hour if desired.

Cut the duck into serving pieces and arrange on a serving platter. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, then drizzle the sauce over the duck. Serve with freshly steamed rice and the dipping sauce.

Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce

Time: 15 minutes
Makes: About 1/2 cup

4 cloves garlic
2 long, fresh red chilies (such as Holland or Fresno), or 2 tablespoons prepared chili paste
8 tablespoons key lime juice (from 8 small limes)
Salt

Pound the garlic and chilies in a mortar with a pestle, or whirl in a small food processor, until a coarse paste forms. Add the lime juice and salt to taste and mix well.

Chicken Buns Recipe (Chinese Steamed Buns/鸡仔包)

Recipe: Chicken Buns

Ingredients:

8 oz. steamed bun flour (大包粉) (Picture source: Steamy Kitchen)
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon lime juice (optional)

Chicken Buns Filling:

8 oz. skinless and boneless chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
1 big leave of napa cabbage (finely shredded)
2 dried black fungus or dried shitake mushrooms (soak in hot water to soften, then diced into thin strips/pieces)
Some cilantro leaves (chopped coarsely)
3/4 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
3 dashes white pepper powder

Method:

Follow the instructions of the steamed bun flour, mix it with milk, sugar, and oil. Knead the dough for 15 minutes or longer until it becomes soft and smooth. Roll the dough into a cylinder (about 1.5 inches in diameter). Cover them with a wet towel and set aside. Mix the chicken buns filling ingredients and set aside.

Take a small piece of parchment paper and cut it into 1.5 x 1.5 inch squares.

Cut the dough into small pieces (about 1 inch thick) and use a rolling pin to flatten it. Put about 1 teaspoon+ filling into the center. Pleat the dough and seal it tight with your finger tips. Place it on top of a paper square. Repeat until you finish the dough and ingredients.

Lay the chicken buns into a bamboo steamer (make sure you leave some space in between the chicken buns as they expand after steaming). Heat up a wok with water. Place two wooden blocks (for steaming purposes) into the wok and place the bamboo steamer on top of them. Steamed for 10 minutes. Transfer out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

Adding a few drops of white vinegar into the boiling water would make the steamed chicken buns whiter. Adding a few drops of lime juice into the dough makes the buns whiter, too.

Drunken Chicken

Shanghai Drunken Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken, dark meat preferably
2 Tbsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
0.5 oz. ginger, thinly sliced
4 – 6 green onion, white parts only, sliced lengthwise
1 1/2 C Shaoxing rice wine
2 tsp white sugar

Ice cubes and water

Method:

Mix the salt with the two peppers. Rub the chicken all over with the salt and pepper and let it sit for an hour.

Poaching Method:

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a Dutch oven or large pot, add the green onion bottoms and ginger. Add the chicken, make sure there is enough water to cover the chicken, and return to a boil. Lower the heat to a bare simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. If you’re using a whole chicken, when the water is simmering for 10 minutes, lift the chicken out of the water and make sure the stock in the cavity empties back into the pot. Do that 3 times for a whole chicken. For chicken pieces or leg quarters, gently stir the pot once or redistribute the leg quarters so they cook evenly. After 10 minutes, cover, turn off the heat, and allow the chicken to poach undisturbed until the water cools almost to room temperature.

Steaming Method:

Bring water to a boil in the steamer. Place the chicken in an even layer, scatter the green onion and ginger all over and steam over medium heat for 30 – 40 minutes or until the internal temperature near the bone reaches 165 – 170 degrees F. If the chicken pieces are larger, they will take longer to steam. If any of the pieces are touching make sure to redistribute them in the middle of cooking so they cook evenly.

Mix the ice cubes and water and shock the chicken in ice cold water for 2 minutes. If you poached the chicken, shock it after the chicken has cooled to room temperature. If you steamed the chicken, shock it immediately after steaming.

After cooking, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, or score the chicken meat with a knife. Put the chicken pieces into a large container. Mix 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the chicken stock (the liquid you poached the chicken in or the liquid that comes out of the chicken after steaming) with the sugar and rice wine. Taste the marinade and add salt if needed. Pour it over the chicken pieces and let this sit in the fridge at least overnight before serving. Serve cold.

BBQ Ribs Recipe

BBQ Ribs Recipe (Chinese-style)
Ingredients:

1 rack baby back pork ribs, about 2 lbs
6 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped)

Marinade/Char Siu Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons maltose
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露酒)
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients in the marinate/char siu sauce in a sauce pan, heat it up and stir-well until all blended. Transfer out and let cool.

Rub the ribs on both sides with the chopped garlic. Marinate the ribs with 2/3 of the marinate sauce for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with heavy aluminum foil, lay the ribs on top, and tightly cover with foil. Roast for 2 hours.

Preheat the grill and remove the ribs from the oven and uncover. Transfer the ribs to the hot grill and grill over direct heat for 5-10 minutes or until the surface slightly charred to your liking. Brush both sides of the ribs with the remaining char siu sauce plus some oil while grilling. Serve hot.

Char Siu Bao

Char Siew Bao/Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Bun) Recipe
Makes 16 buns
Ingredients for dough:
Bun:

8g instant dry yeast
160ml lukewarm water
½ tsp white vinegar or lemon juice (optional)280g low-protein flour aka hong kong flour
100g wheat starch
90g icing sugar
30g shortening or vegetable oil10g baking powder
10ml cold water

Fillings:

A
250g char siew, diced
½ tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp sugar*
1 small onion, diced
1 tbsp oyster sauce*
1 tbsp soy sauce*
1 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 drops red food colouring (optional)

B
150 ml water
1½ tbsp corn flour
Salt to taste

*Some store-bought char siew comes with sauce, use it for preparing filling. Omit sugar, oyster sauce and soy sauce.

Method:

Fillings:

1. Heat oil in pan, sauté onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in all other ingredients A, stir fry for 1 minutes.
2. Mix together water with corn flour, add mixture into the pan and stir well. Simmer until gravy is thickened.
3. Transfer to plate and allow to cool.
4. Divide filling into 16 portions if desired, set aside for later use.

Buns:

1. Sift together flours and icing sugar. Place sifted flour mixture in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
2. Fill well with lukewarm water, vinegar and yeast. Use a spatula, gently stir the water to dissolve the yeast then slowly bring together flour mixture.
3. Add in shortening or oil and knead for 10-15 minutes until soft dough is formed. It should be smooth on the surface.
4. Cover dough with damp cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes or until it is doubled in size. I used bread maker’s dough mode to prepare my dough up to this step.
5. Dissolve baking powder in cold water, sprinkle over dough and knead until well combined. Divide dough into 16 equal portions and flatten with a rolling pin to make a 3” circle. Then place a heap teaspoon of filling in the middle, wrap and pleat the dough to seal. Place it on a 1.5” square parchment paper, seal side up.
6. Arrange buns into a steamer, leave about 1” gab in between buns. Spray water mist over buns, and steam in a preheated steamer on high heat for 12 minutes. Remove buns from steamer and cool on rack to prevent soggy bottom.

Notes:

1. If bigger bun is desired, divide dough into 12 equal portions in step 5.
2. There is no need to rest the dough after adding in baking powder, but if time allowed, rest it for 10 minutes or so to get fluffier buns.
3. Adding a few drops of vinegar into steaming water will produce whiter buns, but this is optional.
4. Steamer must be preheated otherwise bun would not rise to the volume as it should be.
5. Spray the surface of bun with water mist helps to produce buns with smooth surface after steamed.
6. DO NOT open the lid during the steaming process.
7. If there are yellowish spots on the steamed buns, it means the baking powder is not fully dissolved.