Char Siu Bao - Chinese Steamed Pork Buns Recipe

                                    Char Siu Bao - Chinese Steamed Pork Buns

Yields 24 steamed pork buns.

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons oil
* 1 scallion, chopped fine
* 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
* 1/2 pound barbecued pork cut into small cubes
* 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water or chicken stock

Cooking Procedure:

Follow Basic Bun recipe through step 3 (preparing the dough and letting it rest).

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok. Stir fry scallion and garlic 30 seconds. Add pork.

Stir fry 1 minute. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.

Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir fry quickly until pork is glazed. Remove to bowl and allow to cool.

On a floured board, knead dough 1 minute and roll into one long, sausage-like roll 2 inches in diameter.

Slice the roll crosswise into 1 inch pieces.

Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand and roll with rolling pin into 3 inch rounds.
Place 2 tablespoons of filling in center of each round.

Gather dough up around the filling by pleating along the edges.

Bring the pleats up and twist securely and firmly.

Place each bun on 2 inch square of aluminum foil on steamer tray. Cover with a towel. Let rise 1 hour, until dough springs back when touched with finger. Remove towel.

Steam over briskly boiling water 10 minutes.

May be prepared in advance. May be frozen. Thaw out in plastic bag and re-steam 10 minutes.

Spareribs With Black Bean Sauce Recipe

                                      Spareribs With Black Bean Sauce

Prepared black bean sauce takes the work out of rinsing and mashing fermented black beans in this quick and easy spareribs recipe. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds pork spareribs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 teaspoon minced ginger
* Oil for stir-frying
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons water, optional
* Sauce:
* 2 tablespoons black bean sauce with garlic, or to taste
* 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1 cup water or chicken broth (low-sodium broth is best)
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Cooking Procedure:

Trim the ribs and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Mince the ginger. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat the wok on medium-high to high heat and add oil. When oil is ready, add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic (about 15 seconds). Add the spareribs, stir-frying until they are lightly browned. Add the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. While the ingredients are cooking, mix together the cornstarch and water if you are going to use it. Once the ingredients are finished simmering, give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick re-stir and add, stirring to thicken. Serve with white rice.

Spareribs With Black Bean Sauce - made with fermented black beans.

Beef With Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe

                                     Beef With Broccoli Stir Fry

The secret to this recipe is cooking the beef in 1 cup of oil to seal in the juices, and cooking the broccoli in water to make it crisp and tender. For a more authentic touch, try using Chinese broccoli, which has an appearance and taste similar to asparagus.

Ingredients:

* 3/4 pound lean beef
* Marinade:
* 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (substitute rice wine if desired)
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* Sauce:
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon water
* Thickener:
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
* 1 pound fresh broccoli
* 2 garlic cloves
* To Cook Broccoli:
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
* Other:
* 1 1/4 cups oil, or as needed

Cooking Procedure:

Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices. Add the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last (use your fingers to rub it in). Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
While the beef is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: for the sauce, mix together the oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, and water in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water thickener and set aside.
Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut the stalk diagonally into thin slices. Cut the flowerets into 3 or 4 pieces. Crush the garlic.
Heat the wok and add 1 cup oil. When the oil is medium-hot (between 300 and 325 degrees F.), add the beef. Blanch the beef by letting it lay flat for 30 - 40 seconds, and then stirring to separate the pieces. Remove the beef when it changes color and is nearly cooked (the entire process takes 1 - 2 minutes).
Remove the beef from the wok and drain on paper towels.
Clean out the wok with paper towels.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and stir fry briefly until aromatic.
Add the broccoli, sprinkle the salt and sugar over, and stir fry briefly, turning down the heat if necessary to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the 1/2 cup water, and cook the broccoli, covered, for 4 - 5 minutes, until it turns a bright green and is tender but still crisp. Remove from the wok and drain.
Clean out the wok and add 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the broccoli and the beef. Add the sauce and cornstarch mixture in the middle of the wok and stir quickly to thicken. Mix everything together and serve hot over steamed rice.

Variations: *Add carrots and onion if desired. Boil in the wok with the broccoli (you'll need to add more water).

Beef With Tomatoes Recipe

                                  Beef With Tomatoes

A good home-cooked dish. Beef  With Tomatoes serves 3 to 4.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes

Ingredients:

* 1 pound beef, such as sirloin or round
* Marinade:
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
* 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch
* Other:
* 4 large or 6 medium tomatoes
* 2 ribs celery
* 2 spring onions (green onions, scallions)
* 2 slices ginger
* 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
* 2 1/2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, optional
* Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Procedure:

Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices that are approximately 1 1/2 inches long. Add the marinade ingredients. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

While meat is marinating, prepare the remainder of the vegetables. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Scald the tomatoes, plunging them briefly into the boiling water, then remove the skin and cut each into 4 to 6 equal-sized pieces.**

Cut the celery and spring onions along the diagonal into sections about the same length as the beef.
Heat a wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the heated wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Cook briefly until aromatic, then add the beef. Let brown briefly, then stir-fry until it changes color and is 80 percent cooked through. Remove from the wok. Clean out the wok if necessary.

Heat the wok and 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the celery. Add the tomato. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt over top. Cover and bring to a boil.

Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick re-stir. Uncover the wok and push the tomatoes up to the side. Add the cornstarch and water mixture in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the meat back into the pan. Mix everything together. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired. Serve hot over rice.

*Oyster sauce is available in the international or ethnic sections of most supermarkets – look for it near the soy sauce (Lee Kum Kee is a very good brand). And, of course, you can also find it at Asian markets.

**If preferred, you can leave out this step, cooking the tomatoes with the skins on.

Tomato Egg Drop Soup - another way to use fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes in a Chinese dish.

Beef and Peppers in Black Bean Sauce Recipe

                                 Beef and Peppers in Black Bean Sauce

Beef and bell peppers are cooked with a savory black bean sauce in this Cantonese home-cooked dish.

Ingredients:

# 3/4 pound steak (sirloin or flank is good)
# Marinade:
# 1/2 teaspoon sugar
# 2 teaspoons soy sauce
# 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
# 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
# 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as canola
# Other:
# 2 bell peppers, 1 green and 1 orange or red
# 1 small onion
# 1 tablespoon Chinese fermented black beans or black bean sauce, or to taste
# 2 cloves garlic
# 2 large slices ginger
# 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
# 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth or water

Cooking Procedure:

Cut the beef into rectangular slices, about the size of a large postage stamp and 1/4-inch thick. Add the marinade ingredients and marinate the beef for 25 to 30 minutes.

While the beef is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers and chop. Peel the onion and chop.

Use a cleaver or knife to chop the beans into tiny pieces. Finely chop the garlic and ginger. Mix the chopped garlic with the black beans.

Heat the wok over medium-high to heat heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef. Brown briefly, then stir-fry until it changes color and is about 80 percent cooked. Remove the beef from the wok.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and the garlic and bean mixture. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the onion. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, then add the green pepper. Stir-fry for another minute, then add the remaining pepper.

Pour in the chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Add the beef back into the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for a few more minutes. Taste and season with salt, pepper or soy sauce if desired. Serve hot.

Serves 2 to 4

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Barbequed Pork Recipe

                                      Barbequed Pork

This tasty pork dish can be used in stir-fry dishes, served with noodles, or used as a stuffing for pork buns. Food coloring gives it the red coloring common to barbecued pork purchased in Chinatown.

Serves 4 to 6                                          
Prep Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes                                 
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, shoulder, or butt
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon liquid honey
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
• a few drops red food coloring, optional

Cooking Procedure:

Cut the pork into strips approximately 2 inches wide and 5 inches long.

Smash and peel the garlic, and mash it with a mortar and pestle or with a fork.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice wine or sherry, hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, liquid honey, brown sugar, mashed garlic and five-spice powder. If using the red food coloring, add it now.

Place the pork in a shallow 9 X 13-inch glass baking dish. Pour the marinade over. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator, covered, for 3 hours. Remove the pork from the dish. Reserve the marinade.

Preheat the oven (425 degrees Fahrenheit for pork tenderloin, 350 degrees for shoulder or butt). Fill a shallow roasting pan with 1/2-inch of water and place in the bottom of the oven. Place the pork on a rack above the water. Roast until golden brown, brushing 2 or 3 times with the reserved marinade (about 30 minutes total roasting time for the tenderloin, 45 minutes total roasting time for the shoulder or butt). The internal temperature of the pork should be 160 degrees F. Remove and cool.