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| "Babtism" by John Sinclair 2011 Pencil on paper, 15" x 19" |
Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou (Red Braised Lion's Head)
Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou (Red Braised Lion's Head)
It is not often you'll find this very traditional dish in stateside Chinese restaurants, yet in China north and south, Shi Zi Tou (Lion's Head) is very common. The poetic name of this dish results from its appearance: large meatballs in a bed of cooked cabbage suggests, with a little imagination, a lion's head surrounded by his mane. Variaions exist, especially in southern China, where Shi Zi Tou may have a lighter broth or sauce, and possibly cellophane noodles (fen si), in addition to the cabbage. The present recipe is a Shanghai version, utilizing the famous "red cooked" (hong shao) method of poaching in soy and stock; if you prefer a lighter, "Southern" variation, you can simply omit the two soy sauces and substitute 4 tablespoons more chicken broth. This recipe also calls for water chestnuts, and it is highly recommended that you buy the fresh ones rather than canned, available at most Chinese groceries, even though it takes a few minutes to peel them. Once you experience the sweet, tender fresh water chestnuts, you'll never go back.
- 1 1/2 lbs Ground Pork
- 4 TABWater
- 8 Water Chestnuts, large mince
- 3 Scallions, minced
- 3 tsp Ginger, minced
- 2 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 TAB Sherry
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 - 3 TAB Cornstarch for dredging pork balls
- 3 or 4 TAB Peanut oil
- 2 TAB Dark Soy
- 2 TAB Light Soy
- 20 oz Napa Cabbage, root end trimmed, leaves separated
- 2 tsp Brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cup Chicken stock (homemade is far superior, see Technique)
Make a potato flour slurry (equal parts water and starch, appx 2/3 tsp each; you can also use cornstarch, though it will not result in as gelatinous a sauce)
Combine pork and water. Mix meat in one direction, and keep mixing until it is somewhat fluffy and cohered, a few minutes; add large mince chestnuts, minced scallion, minced ginger, sesame oil, sherry and salt; mix well and form into 5 large meat balls approx 6 oz each, 2 1/2" to 3" diameter.
Dust meatballs in cornstarch and remove excess--set aside.
Heat wok with 3 TAB peanut oil over medium heat; when wok oil is just barely smoking, add meat balls one at a time and fry, rolling and turning very gently, until slightly firm and browned. Remove.
Clean wok, heat to medium, add 6 Tablespoons of water, put in cabbage leaves, cover and steam 5 minutes or so until leaves are flexible. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle.
Line sand pot (sha guo) or small casserole with 2/3 of the cabbage; gently add the five meatballs, then pour in chicken stock, sugar, and soy sauces. Lay remaining cabbage over meat, cover and braise balls for 1 1/2 hours on top of stove.
When done and cool enough to handle, carefully remove Lion's heads to a plate. On the service platter, arrange braised cabbage in a circular pattern; arrange meatballs in the center. Reduce braising liquid to desired flavor intensity and add stream of slurry until liquid is thickened, coats spoon thickly, but still runs. Pour over Lions head, garnish with slivered green onion or slivered carrot.
Siu Maaih Pork and Shrimp Dim Sum dumpling
Siu Maaih Pork and shrimp dumpling
There is no item that so epitomizes dim sum as this little morsel. It will be served in every dim sum restaurant, no matter how humble the offerings. Its name, Siu Maaih, which literally translated from Cantonese means "cook sell," might describe its humble beginnings as a street snack to go with tea, and therefore may have been dim sum's first dumpling. Luckily for those of us who are willing to slave away in the kitchen making traditional Chinese delicacies, this one is relatively easy to produce. One can make their own skins for siu maai, if one wants to destroy one's kitchen over the course of a very long day, but few cooks try it; the thin, factory made wrapper, available in every Chinese store, is inexpensive and foolproof.
2 small to medium shitake dried mushrooms
11 oz pork (picnic country rib boneless), minced (previously ground pork is acceptable)
6 oz shrimp, after shelling and deveining; 1/3 of this pureed or pounded, 2/3 should be chopped.
1 sm green onion, minced
1 Tab soy
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
dash white pepper
3 tablespoons water
1 pkg "thin shao mai" wrapper (i.e., Seattle's Rose brand)
Reconstitute the dried mushroom by submerging in very hot water for 1 hour. Press out water, cut out stems, mince and set aside.
Prepare all other ingredients and combine, including the minced mushroom. Mix vigorously in one direction for 3 or 4 minutes to make a uniform, cohered filling.
The dumplings can be frozen; I suggest you freeze them, separated, on a parchment lined tray before putting in a freezer bag to prevent sticking.
With wrapper on flat of your left palm, wet edge of skin. Using a small spatula or wide knife, slather approx. 2 Tab filling on wrapper. Begin to close the palm, wrinkling the edges of the wrapper. Close gently, gathering the edges together for pleating. Pinch the wide pleats to make them more uniform. Pressing in a bit more filling flattens the pleats and firms up the dumpling. Applying some pressure to the bottom flattens the Siu Maaih and rounds the top. Add a garnish of green onion, carrot slivers or 3 peas and they are ready to steam.
The dumplings can be frozen; I suggest you freeze them, separated, on a parchment lined tray before putting in a freezer bag to prevent sticking.
Steam 7 minutes if dumplings are fresh, 12 minutes if frozen.
makes approx. 24 dumplings
Joak (Rice Porrige or Congee)
Joak, Jook, or Juk (cantonese) Zhou (Mandarin) Rice Porrige or Congee
This is akin to fried rice, in that in Asia it is a staple comfort food with endless variations in the details of the recipe and condiments. There is not even agreement regarding the type of rice to use. All over the Asian continent, hundreds of millions of people begin their day in homes and cafes with Joak , yet it's simplicity belies the fragrant, silky deliciousness of rice porridge. Rice, water or stock and a dash of salt, simmered for an hour or two--the rest is an accent, and depends on what is available in the kitchen. It is also a major offering at dim sum, though it is hidden inside a warmer, on a cart, alongside a stack of bowls and chopped green onion.
9 cups stock (see techniques section on homemade chicken stock) or water.
1 cup short grain rice (calrose rice, not glutinous rice; long grain rice can be used)
salt to taste
Rinse the rice two or three times and drain through a sieve. Add the rice to a pot with the stock or water and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding stock or water as needed to adjust texture. Add salt to taste. Joak is generally the texture of a thick soup or batter, and the grains of rice are barely intact.
As for the garnishes and additions, here is a list of typical items, ordered from the most to the least common, although it is purely a matter of personal taste. Feel free to use none or one or several…
Garnishes:
You tiao (Chinese fried cruller, shown in photo)
Green onion, sliced thin, diagonally
Fresh ginger, finely shredded
Pickled ginger, finely shredded
Pickled vegetable
Chinese black mushroom, reconstituted, stem removed, slivered
Cilantro
Additions:
Peanuts
Thousand year old egg, cut into eighths, lengthwise
Fish, filet, cut in pieces
Lop cheong (Chinese sausage) sliced thin, diagonally
Pork "dumplings" This simple addition can be made as follows:
Mix 8 oz. ground pork with a scallion, finely minced and 1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely minced. About 4 minutes before serving, pluck a teaspoon or so of the pork mixture with the fingers and drop it in the simmering joak. Repeat for as many dumplings as desired, then gently submerge the meat and allow to cook for 4 minutes, or until firm.
Hui Guo Rou Twice cooked pork
Hui Guo Rou Twice Cooked Pork
Hui Guo Rou (literally, "return to the pot pork") is a classic Sichuanese dish. So much so that it appears often on Chinese restaurant menus in the west; however, as always, the sea change takes its toll on the traditional recipe. Stateside, you might find bell peppers, carrots, green cabbage and sugar as main ingredients, with the meat almost as an afterthought. The treatment in this post reflects our experience of the dish in Chengdu, Sichuan, as well as referencing Fuchsia Dunlop's version in her superb book, Land of Plenty.
Gathering together the ingredients may take a bit of effort: the traditional hui guo rou uses several ingredients that will only be found in Asian groceries, including green garlic (saun miao), Sichuan chili bean paste (dou ban jiang) and sweet bean paste (tian main jiang) . Dunlop points out that one can substitute hoisin sauce for the sweet bean paste, but its distinctive sweetnesss and flavor is a bit overpowering.
12 oz pork belly, skin on
3 green garlic (suan miao) or leeks (sliced diagonally) 2 1/2 - 3 oz.)
1" x 1/2 " pc ginger, sliced thin
1 TAB rice wine or sherry (Shao Xing Chiu)
2 tsp Sichuan chili bean paste (duo ban jian)
1 TAB Sweet bean paste (tian mian jiang)
1 round tsp sugar
2 tsp fermented black beans (dou chi)
1 tsp dark soy
1 Tab peanut or other vegetable oil
Bring 2/3 quarts of water (you can throw in a couple of chopped scallions and 3 or 4 slices of ginger if the stock will be used later) to a gentle boil; add meat and, depending on the thickness of the belly, simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool in the refrigerator at least a couple of hours--if possible overnight. When completely cool, cut the belly piece into sections so that when it is sliced thin across the striations of fat and meat, the pieces will be approximately 1" x 2" x 1/8".
If you are using leeks, remove dryer outer sheaths, slice as indicated and stir fry the leak slivers to soften them.
1 Tab peanut or other vegetable oil
Bring 2/3 quarts of water (you can throw in a couple of chopped scallions and 3 or 4 slices of ginger if the stock will be used later) to a gentle boil; add meat and, depending on the thickness of the belly, simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool in the refrigerator at least a couple of hours--if possible overnight. When completely cool, cut the belly piece into sections so that when it is sliced thin across the striations of fat and meat, the pieces will be approximately 1" x 2" x 1/8".
If you are using leeks, remove dryer outer sheaths, slice as indicated and stir fry the leak slivers to soften them.
Make ready all the ingredients on the list. When the oil is smoking hot, stir fry pork slices until nicely brown on the edges. Don't overcook. Remember, you're frying what is basically bacon, so if you cook the pork until it is well browned, it will be crisp and somewhat tough. If you fry it only slightly, it will turn out soft, gelatinous and obviously fatty. When lightly browned, splash with wine, move the meat up the sides of the wok and add ginger slices, sliced green garlic or softened leeks, and chili bean paste. Stir fry for 30 seconds, add sweet bean paste for 30 seconds, and then toss in sugar and dark soy. Toss the mixture in the wok for a minute or so, plate the hui guo rou and garnish with sesame oil.