Thai-style Fried Pork Snack

Oh, hi there! Long time no see! What can I say? It's been busy around here...just not in the kitchen. Hopefully that's going to change, now that I don't have to work full time AND take evening classes three days a week. Besides, and I never thought I'd say this, I'm tired of take out. It's fine once or twice a week, but 3 or 4 times a week for a few months just plain sucks. It takes a toll on the waistline and the pocketbook.



Okay, so maybe deep-fried pork isn't good for the waistline either, but at least it's homemade. Not only that, it brings me back to Mom's kitchen. This is type the of stuff I grew up on. Mom still makes this whenever we visit. And in fact, the last time she came to visit me, she brought 2 large Ziploc bags full of it, ready to be fried. The stuff my family will transport in their luggage just makes me chuckle.

The proper way (as Mom would say) to make this is to marinate the pork in garlic and a little fish sauce then set it out in the sun to dry. She does this with both pork and beef. Of course she lives in scorching hot-dry-sunny Las Vegas so it works perfectly. Here in Portland this wouldn't work. It's never hot or dry enough. I shudder at the thought of leaving fresh meat outside to dry here.

Luckily, I stumbled on an alternative that worked beautifully. Earlier in the week I made a brined pork roast and had plenty left over. I sliced the meat and added finely chopped garlic (several cloves), a stalk of lemongrass (finely chopped), a few crushed kaffir lime leaves and sliced shallot. Into the fridge it went overnight. The next day, before deep-frying, I tossed in about 1/2 tbs of rice powder to absorb any extra moisture (this is optional).

I think Mom would approve of the results. The meat was crispy and chewy without being dry or hard. The seasonings really came through and the shallots crisped up nicely. I served sticky rice and dipping sauce (ingredients below) on the side and it was a big hit. Goes great with a nice cold beer too.

We Thais love our dipping sauces and for a dish like this, it is a key component. It's quite easy to make. All you need is fresh lime juice (maybe 1 to 2 large limes), chopped garlic (about 1 to 2 cloves), chopped chillies (as many as you can tolerate), fish sauce and sugar. Everything is to taste so use more or less as you see fit.

Regional Recipes Brazil Round-up

If you've been anxiously waiting for the Brazil round-up, I'm sorry it's late. There is a good reason, which you'll read about shortly, but first I want to get to the submissions. Let's get started!

Picadinho de porco (minced pork) submitted by Marisa of The Creative Pot. It has chorizo! Need I say more?




Brazilian-style salmon fish stew submitted by Joanne of Eats Well with Others. If you're looking for a fish stew with bold flavors and vibrant colors, look no further!




Brazilian-style empanadas submitted by me. Succulent shredded chicken, green olives and hearts of palm in a butter crust. Yum!



Thank you to Joanne and Marisa. They are such terrifically reliable participants and all around good people.

Before revealing the next region, I want to make a quick announcement about the future of Regional Recipes. I was worried that with my increasingly busy schedule, I would have to end the event, but I am happy to announce that Joanne of Eats Well with Others has agreed to take over as host and administrator. At some point, the event main page and round-ups will be available on her site. Until then, information is still available at the RR link above. I'm glad the event will continue and it will be in good hands. Thank you, Joanne!

WOW! This may be the last time I choose the region. I better make it good, huh? Let's do the Middle East. Joanne is going to be hosting. Send your submissions to her at jhbruno87(at)gmail(dot)com by 11:59 on February 28.

I'm back!

Oh hi! I’m finally back. Seems like I’ve been on one long vacation. First Mexico, then after only a few days home, our neighbors invited us to join them at the beach. As if we’d say no to extending our vacation! So we re-packed our bags (they weren’t really unpacked) and headed to the Oregon Coast for the long Independence Day weekend. I guess it’s not surprising that I’m finding it hard to come out of the vacation stupor. I'm sorry if I've been slow at responding to emails and comments. Suppose I better come to quick, though. Mom and the whole Vegas crew are arriving on Friday. Lord, save me!


I also need to get my butt in gear seeing as how I’m hosting Weekend Wokking and wouldn’t it be just shameful if I didn’t have an entry? (Good thing I’m the host and Wandering Chopsticks is such an understanding gal because the deadline’s already past. The round-up goes up tomorrow or the day after :-) Anyhow, cilantro is the theme ingredient, and luckily for me I’ve got some growing in the garden. Or rather, I had. It bolted while I was away, and there’s not quite enough to take from the younger plants. No problem since I use the roots.

I’m not going to launch into the awesomeness of cilantro roots because I’ve already done that and you can read about it here. I’ll just go straight to the dish, a pork stir-fry flavored with a paste made of garlic, white peppercorns and cilantro roots. Don’t forget the dipping sauce! Enjoy!

Pretty simple, but tastes great! Spruce it up with tomato and cucumber slices and serve with the dipping sauce.

Garlicky Pork Stir-Fry

Serves 3 to 4

• ½ oz cilantro roots, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ tsp white peppercorns (black is okay too)
• 1 pound pork, sliced for stir-frying
• 1 to 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 to 2 tbs light soy sauce (regular is fine too, but use less)
• 1 tsp sugar
• fish sauce to taste

For the dipping sauce:

• Juice of 1 juicy lime
• fish sauce, to taste (about 1 tbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• chopped chilies, to taste
• white sugar, to taste (about 1 to 2 tsp)

Using a mortar, pound the cilantro roots, garlic and peppercorns until you get a uniform paste. You want to make sure to thoroughly break down the cilantro roots because they can be tough and fibrous otherwise. Mix the paste with the pork and allow to marinate for about ½ hour.

Meanwhile make the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar.

Make the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients and adjust flavor to taste.

When you’re ready to stir-fry, get your wok good and hot. Proper heat is the trick to this dish. If your wok is not hot enough, the meat is not going to sear. Instead it’s going to release juices. The wok also has to be hot enough to caramelize the sauce once it hits the wok. Otherwise you will have a watery, boring dish. This dish should be fairly dry and the flavors concentrated.

Use about 3 tbs oil. Grapeseed or another vegetable oil is good; olive oil is bad for stir-frying. Once the meat is seared and just about done (approx 2 to 3 minutes), add the soy sauce mix down the side of the wok and toss the meat to coat. It’s done when the sauce is caramelized and the meat is cooked through. Adjust flavor with fish sauce, if necessary. Total cooking time is about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce and steamed jasmine rice. I like to serve sliced tomato and cucumber on the side as well.

Cassoulet

To me, there seems to be two types of French food. There are the refined, sophisticated foods I associate with fine French restaurants. Then there’s the other, more rustic side, and to be honest, that’s the kind of food I prefer. Rustic food is so humble while at the same time being bold and hearty. It’s food friends and family can gather around. Comfort food made for sharing.

The one thing French food is not, however, is fast.  This may be why more people don’t attempt it at home. Luckily, the ounce of patience I do have shows up in the kitchen. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoy a process if I know that I will have something spectacular in the end. That’s not to say I like standing in the kitchen all day. If I’m faced with a lengthy preparation, I will break it down into manageable tasks that can be accomplished over the course of 2 to 3 days.

Perfect example is cassoulet. This meaty casserole is not something that can be whipped up one evening. It’s got multiple ingredients that need to be cooked separately, then put together in the end. Even if you have the one uncommon ingredient, duck confit, on hand, it would take you a good part of the day to get this casserole on the table in time for dinner. But if you break it down into 2 or 3 days of work, it is easy going. Another advantage is that each stage has a chance to develop in flavor. Over the course of 7 days, I casually worked on this cassoulet, starting with the duck confit. An hour here and there, but probably no more than 4 hours total prep time.  Cooking was mostly passive, so that doesn't really count.

Muscovy duck legs cured in kosher salt, cinnamon, clove and a copious amount of garlic.  You could make a cassoulet without the duck confit, but I don't think the result would be as good.  

Enough jibber jabber! You want the recipe? I used the recipe in the latest issue of Saveur as a guideline. I left out the pancetta and used olive oil instead of the duck fat in a feeble attempt to cut down on the saturated fat.  Kate Hill has a recipe and interesting post about her weekend at Camp Cassoulet. David Lebovitz was also there and wrote an entertaining post as well. If you’re interested in a more cultural perspective, here is an entertaining article I found in Time.

This is my submission to Regional Recipes: France.  The host this time is Susan of Open mouth, insert fork.  If you'd like to submit a post, check out the rules and find out who's hosting by clicking on the RR link.  And definitely check out the roundup at her site sometime early next week.  There are sure to be wonderful entries and Susan will be announcing the next region!

Regional Recipes Thailand: Spicy Pork Stir-fry

Without my wok, I might starve.

Okay, so that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I really do use my wok a lot.

I know I've already used this picture, but I really do love my wok and take every opportunity to show it off.

People probably think I learned the art of stir-frying (yes, it is an art!) from my mom. It’s a nice thought—culinary traditions being passed down from mother to daughter, preservation of traditional foodways and all that quaint stuff.

The truth is mom didn’t do much stir-frying. She’s from the northeastern part of Thailand, where the regional food (Isaan food) doesn’t rely heavily on the technique. Isaan food is really nothing like what you’d find at Thai restaurants in the US. It’s saltier, more sour and less sweet than other Thai food. It’s more about grilled meats and fish, sticky rice, and spicy dipping sauces. We ate a lot of meat and fish salads, fried eggs and omelets, simple soups and curries (usually without coconut milk). And let’s not forget the infamous pla ra, which is fermented fish, the juice of which is used to flavor just about everything. Mom always had a jar of it in a plastic bag, ripening, hidden way in the back of a cabinet. It’s quite an acquired taste, and if you didn’t grow up eating it, you may never acquire the taste for it. Of course Mom would occasionally make the more well known stir-fries, but I never really paid much attention when she did the actual cooking.

If I didn’t learn the art of wokking from my mother, then where?

I've been cooking for my own family for a few years, and I would do the occasional stir-fry, but it wasn't something I did often. That changed about 3 years ago, when a friend gave me a cast iron wok. That single event changed my life. Okay, another exaggeration, but it did change the way I cook. Being able to work with a well-seasoned cast iron wok was a real pleasure, so I used it often. Practice, practice, practice—that’s how I learned the art of stir-fry.

So I guess the moral of this story is that it doesn't matter how late you learn to cook or use a particular technique. With the right equipment and enough practice, anybody can become a good cook. I truly believe it!

Spicy pork with Thai eggplant

Pad phet (pronounced like pet) is a typical Thai stir-fry that’s fairly easy to make and the flavor is fantastic. It’s spicy (Hubby says I really need to emphasize this point, although I didn't think it was that spicy), due to red curry paste and either chili paste (naam prik pao) or fresh chilies. The chili paste is sweet-spicy. If you decide to use it, cut down on the sugar a bit. Mom prefers it with just the fresh chilies. In any case, the difference is minor and both will give tasty results.

A very delicious version of pad phet is made with deep fried catfish nuggets, but I wasn’t in the mood for deep frying this time. Instead I used pork, which is also very common, but chicken, or even tofu will do. My preferred vegetable is Thai eggplant, but green beans, bamboo shoots, green bell peppers, cabbage, and zucchini are also good choices.

This time I used bamboo shoots and cabbage.

Spicy Pork Stir-fry (Pad phet muu)
serves 3

• 12 oz pork (see note)
• 1 ½ tbs red curry paste
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tbs naam prik pao and/or fresh Thai chilies to taste
  
• 1 tbs palm sugar (light brown sugar is okay), more to taste
• fish sauce, to taste
• 8 to 10 Thai eggplants, quartered (or vegetable of your choice)
• leaves from one bunch Thai basil

Note: Pork belly is commonly used for this type of dish, but I prefer to use pork butt. It has just enough fat without feeling too fatty. If you’re more health conscious, then you’ll probably want to use something like sirloin or tenderloin.

Whenever I stir-fry with pork butt, I like to tenderize it in one of two ways. I slice it into approximately ½ inch steaks, use the tenderizing side of a meat mallet to pound it down by half, then slice it for stir-frying. The pounding helps break down the meat fibers a little so it’s not so tough. Another trick, when appropriate, is to roughly mince the pork by hand. Start by dicing it into very small cubes, then use a sharp knife to mince it roughly. This also works to tenderize the meat. Either of these methods is good for this dish.

In a mortar, pound the garlic, a handful of the basil leaves and chilies (if using) until you get a rough paste. If you don’t have a mortar, do it in a food processor or mince by hand. Mix this paste with the red curry paste in a small bowl. If you are using naam prik pao, mix that in too. Set aside until needed.

Get your wok nice and hot over high heat. Add about 2 tbs oil. When it’s hot, quickly fry the meat until it’s seared, but not cooked through. Remove it to a bowl, leaving as much oil in the wok as possible. If you are using pork butt, some of the oil should have rendered, and you probably don’t need to add more oil. If you don’t have any oil left, add about another tablespoon or two then add the Thai eggplants (or whatever vegetable you're using). Stir-fry them for about 1 minute, then add the spice mix. Continue cooking for about 1 minute, turning the vegetable to coat in the spice mix, then add about ½ cup water. Cover the wok and allow the eggplant to cook for about 5 minutes or until the eggplant is softened a bit (adjust time according to the vegetable you’re using). Add the sugar (if you used naam prik pao, add only about ½ of the sugar, as the chili paste already adds sweetness). Adjust the flavor with fish sauce and more sugar, if necessary. Add the meat back in and the rest of the basil. Cook just until the meat is cooked through, about another minute or two. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

For other Thai or stir-fry recipes, check out the category links in the right side bar.

This is my submission to Regional Recipes, a blogging event that celebrates national/regional cuisine. This time we’re spotlighting Thailand. There's still time if you want to participate. I'm hosting this month and will accept entries until the 20th, which is when the round-up will be posted (sometime that evening). Send your entries to blazinghotwok(at)gmail(dot)com.

Kickin' it Old School Style

I’m what some people might call a technology idiot old school. Hubby is exactly the opposite. It's like George Jetson married to Wilma Flintstone. We're constantly discussing the value of modern-day conveniences. In my opinion, these so-called conveniences are either a waste of money or end up being a big pain in the ass. Like the dumb "universal" remote control that only controls half of the TV accessories. Don't get me wrong, I love things like electricity and indoor plumbing, but why do I need a camera phone that can play MP3s? Why do I need a panini maker when I have a perfectly good cast iron grill pan and lid? Why do I need an espresso machine when the stove top brewer works perfectly fine?

The latest issue is whether we should get a gas grill. Hubby thinks gas would be swell, while I’m a die-hard charcoal fan. Food tastes better over coals and wood and there's no threat of freak explosions. But with the shitty spring weather we had here in Portland, I almost caved. It would be so easy to just turn on the gas and throw our hot dogs on 5 minutes later. We could grill every day this summer, even on the days we get home late from work. Heck, we could grill all year long, no matter the weather. It's such a tempting thought!

While I agonize over the issue, you should make this delicious Korean-style grilled pork I made this last weekend. I completely ripped this idea from was inspired by manggy, who posted about a mouthwatering Korean barbequed chicken. Do check out the post; his picture is enough to induce uncontrollable drooling. He did it as a stir-fry, but I decided to try it grilled. Oh man, was it good! Thanks to manggy for the inspiration!

Note: Scanning the ingredients, you may think this dish may be too spicy; it’s not. The heat from the gochujang is a subtle heat, not like the in-your-face heat of a birdseye chilli. My 5-year-old enjoyed this dish as much as Hubby and I did.

Korean-style Grilled Pork

• 4 to 5 tbs gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 3 tbs tamari (regular old Kikkoman is fine)
• 2 tbs rice vinegar
• 3 tbs browns sugar or honey
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbs grated ginger
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 pounds boneless pork loin chops (or tenderloin or even chicken, if you prefer)
• toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
• green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal for garnish (optional)

Make the marinade by combining all the ingredients, except the pork. Mix well to get a uniform mixture. Taste the mixture and adjust according to your preference. Keep in mind, it will be less spicy on the cooked pork.

Since the marinade is more like a barbeque sauce, I recommend giving the chops a couple of wacks with a meat mallet. Don’t annihilate the meat; just a couple of solid wacks to flatten them slightly. This breaks down the fibers of the meat a little and allows the marinade to penetrate better.

Marinate the meat for at least 4 hours in the fridge, but longer is better. I started it in the morning and let it go all day. Take the meat out of the fridge up to one hour before grilling to take the chill off.

Couple of things to keep in mind when grilling. Grill over direct heat, but the coals shouldn't be blazing hot. Watch carefully because the marinade will burn quite easily. It may only take a couple of minutes each side, depending on how thick your chops are. You definitely don’t want to overcook loin chops, unless you like dry-ass pork.

Before serving, garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and green onions. I served the pork with Japanese-style rice and a simple stir-fry of carrots, celery and ginger. A side of kimchi would also go great!

Pork Shank Noodle Soup

If you need some comic relief, go see a T-ball game. We signed Sonny up for our local little league and had no idea what to expect. Let’s just say, I’ll be happy if Sonny isn’t scared of the ball by the end of the season. None of the kids can catch. Only one kid can actually throw hard enough to reach base to base. Since everyone is still learning the game at this point, the entire team is out on the field at the same time. Imagine ten 5-year-olds running for every single ball that comes out. Talk about pile-ups; it looked more like rugby than baseball. Then once they’ve wrestled the ball from their teammates, they’re usually confused about what to do with it. Once during the first game, Sonny was supposed to be running from first to second base but decided instead to chase the ball hit by his own teammate. That wasn’t as bad as the kid who hit the ball (pretty hard too) then proceeded to run to 3rd base. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life.

Sonny taking a practice lap. Isn't he cute with the little fists? Doesn't the weather look lovely?

Sonny running for home plate.

The downside to playing sports in the spring in Portland is having to deal with unpredictable weather. Last weekend was so warm and beautiful. People were wearing shorts and flip-flops to the game. This weekend it hailed and didn’t even break 50 F. People were dressed like they were going skiing. I made the mistake of wearing my Chuck Taylors and by the time I got home, my feet were so wet and cold, I couldn’t feel my toes.

While other people in warmer climes are pulling out their grills, I fired up my oven to braise pork shank for noodle soup. It’s a variation of a pork shank stew I ate growing up. Usually it's served with hard-boiled eggs over rice. This time I decided to nix the eggs and do it with noodles. The broth is savory-sweet with hints of anise, fennel, cinnamon and ginger. The pork shank is so tender because it’s braised with the skin on. This keeps the meat moist and when the collagen breaks down, it adds richness to the broth, much like what happens when you braise lamb shank.

Braised Pork Shank Noodle Soup
Serves 4 to 5 adults

• 2 to 3 pork shanks, with skin (about 3 pounds)
• 2 star anise
• 1 3-inch stick cinnamon
• ½ tbs toasted fennel seeds
• ½ tbs toasted coriander seeds
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 2 tbs thick soy sauce (see note)
• 6 cups water
• 1 pack chow mein noodles, usually sold in 16 oz packs (see note)
• 4 or 5 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped for garnish
• ¼ pound Chinese BBQ pork, thinly sliced (optional)
• ¼ pound fish cake, thinly sliced (optional)
• bean sprouts or sliced bok choy, blanched (optional)
• Condiments: chili garlic sauce or sambal, lime wedges, fish sauce

Note: The flavor base for the broth is thick soy sauce. As its name implies, it is thick with the consistency of molasses. It is also sweetened with molasses. Regular old Kikkoman cannot be substituted. I believe thick soy sauce also goes by the name ketchap manis.

For this dish, I recommend using the chow mein noodles. They have a better texture than ramen noodles or even rice noodles. However, if you can’t find them substitute any noodle you like. Or you could even use rice.

I've only recently discovered these noodles. I like them because they have a nice al dente texture, whereas ramen or rice noodles can get soggy. They are also great for stir-frying.

In a stockpot or large Dutch oven, warm a little oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the pork shanks and brown them well on all sides. Add the spices, ginger, and garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the water, sugar, thick soy sauce and fish sauce. Allow to come to a boil. When it comes to a boil, cover and braise either on the stovetop over low heat or in a 300 degree oven (my preferred method). Either way, it will take about 2 to 3 hours. It’s done when the meat on the shanks is fork tender and the collagen has broken down.

Normally I make this stew a day or two in advance and allow it to sit in my fridge to let the flavors meld. And it makes it so much easier to remove the fat, which will rise to the top and solidify. However, this isn’t necessary. If you plan to eat them the same day, just remove the shanks and allow them to cool slightly before removing the skin and bones and collecting the meat. If you allow the broth to sit for 15 to 30 minutes, the fat will rise to the top and you can skim some of it off. I recommend straining the broth to remove the spices.

Cook the noodles according to package instructions. For the chow mein noodles, I just boil them for 2 minutes and drain. Easy.

To plate, I put a bundle of noodles in the bowl, pile it with the garnishes then ladle the broth on top. I like just a couple of ladles of broth, while Sonny and Hubby like a lot of broth. The condiments go out on the table so everyone can season their soup the way they like.

Isaan-style Sausages

It has come to my attention that I’m a dork. Apparently I can do things like determine protein kinetics on a nanosecond time scale, but I’m unable to tell my left from my right. In my previous post, I kept referring to my left side bar when everything is really in the right side bar. So for the person(s) who found it totally annoying that I kept saying left when I should have been saying right:

Check out Charcuterie in the right side bar! Check out the Foodie Blogroll in the right side bar!

Did that make ya’ll feel better? Now on to more important (and less embarrassing) matters...

I made another sausage! This time I made a fragrant, garlicky, spicy sausage using the “Thai trinity” (lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves) as the flavor base. The only thing that was missing was the sour component characteristic of this type of sausage. It is achieved by fermenting the sausage at room temperature for 1 to several days (see note). Wasn’t quite ready to go there, but soon, I promise! Even without the sourness, this fresh sausage turned out very tasty. Good thing too; I made 5 pounds of it!

Isaan-style Sausages

15 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
3 stalks lemon grass, finely minced
1 tbs minced galangal
2 heads garlic (about 20 or so cloves), minced
Fresh bird’s eye chillies, to taste (start with 5 then go up from there)
1 bunch cilantro, minced
4.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, diced
1/2 pound pork (back) fat, diced
2 cups cooked, cold sticky rice, kernels separated (other long-grain rice will work)
1 ¼ oz kosher salt (more or less to taste)
1 cup very cold water

Note: If you have the nerve to try fermenting the sausage, you'll need to add 1/4 tsp of pink salt per kilogram (approx 2.2 lbs) of sausage. Hang the sausage for 1 to several days at room temperature (approx 70 degrees is optimal). Keep it out of direct sunlight. A cool basement is probably the best choice if you have one. Test the level of sourness by cooking a small piece bit every day. Once you determine the sausage is sour enough, freeze whatever you don't plan to eat right away.

Season the diced meat and fat with the lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chillies and cilantro. Stick the meat in the freezer for about an hour. The meat should be well chilled, just starting to freeze. Your grinding equipment should be well chilled as well. I like using the coarse die for sausage. It leaves the texture just course enough to know you're eating real meat. Grind the meat into a bowl set on ice. To the ground meat, add the salt and water. Mix well. Lastly add the rice and mix again. Take a small portion to cook to determine if it’s seasoned properly (put the rest in the fridge while doing this). If it’s all good, then stuff the sausage into hog casings and enjoy! It's great served as a snack with ginger matchsticks, fresh roasted peanuts, and chillies. Being the simple person I am, I like to eat mine with sticky rice. I bet it would be yummy as a base for fried rice or noodles too. Remember, freeze whatever you can’t eat within two or three days.

Here are some other sausage recipes on my list that you may like to try: Burnt Lumpia's Longanisa and Mrs. Marv's Thai-spiced chicken sausage.

Homemade is Better Made!

As I’ve said before, I’m intrigued by the idea of making my own cured meats. I feel like it’s really becoming a lost art. Maybe it’s because people think it’s hard or requires expensive equipment. That’s what I thought. Or maybe it’s because people think that they could just as well buy ham and salami at the market, so why bother? What I’m finding is that it’s neither hard nor expensive, and when everything turns out right, it’s better than what I can get at the market. I also like the idea of seeing the process through. Pick out the ingredients, watch the transformation and enjoy the taste. It really is quite rewarding.

For my first attempt at curing, I chose to do Canadian bacon, the recipe for which I adapted from Charcuterie (see the left side bar). It really is so easy. The only special things you’ll need is pink salt (aka Prague powder #1 or Instacure #1 or sodium nitrite curing salt) and a smoker, although the smoker is not really necessary. Roasting in a oven should work just fine. I don’t have a smoker, but my neighbor allowed me to use his (thanks Dennis!).


The results were far better than I expected. I was afraid the pork would be too salty or dry, but the brine salted the meat perfectly and the pink salt gave the finished product a wonderful pink color. Without it, I think the color would have been grey. The texture was right on and it wasn’t dry at all. Smoking the pork gave it the extra touch, as you can imagine.

Canadian bacon
Adapted from Charcuterie
Brine:

• 2 quarts water
• 6 oz kosher salt
• 4 oz sugar
• 0.75 oz pink salt* (see note)
• 1 tbs coriander seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 ½ lbs trimmed pork loin

*Note: There seems to be a lot of controversy over pink salt. In some recipes, it’s required as it neutralizes the toxins given off by the botulism bacteria. For this recipe, I think it’s mostly used to give the meat a nice pink color after it’s been cooked. I recommend using it, but use only as directed. Consumed in large amounts, it can be harmful. You’ll probably need to order it online unless you’re lucky enough to know someone who has access to it.

In a large (non-reactive) pot heat the water with the other brine ingredients until all the salt and sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool to room temp before sticking it in the fridge to chill. When it’s completely chilled, add the pork loin. Make sure it’s completely submerged. Let the pork loin brine for 48 hours. I actually left it in for like 60 hours because I forgot about it and it still turned out fine. After that time, remove it from the brine and pat it dry. Let it sit in the fridge, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours. It’s best if you can suspend it on a rack over a tray to let it drip and allow air to circulate around it. Hot smoke the pork loin at 200ºF until it reaches an internal temperature of 150º. This took me about 3.5 hours. If you don’t have a smoker, you can roast the pork in the oven and I’m sure the result will still be tasty. According to the recipe, the Canadian bacon can be kept for up to 10 days after it's cooked, but I'm sure it will be gone well before that time!


Before I "sign-off" I want to direct your attention to the Foodie Blogroll icon in the left side bar. I just joined because I like the idea of having so many food blogs at my fingertips! It's also a great way to network. I encourage you to take a gander.

Thai-Style Sweet and Sour Pork

Who said Thai food is spicy?

Okay, a lot of it is, but there are plenty of dishes for those who can’t tolerate the heat. One thing that comes to mind is Thai-style sweet and sour. What? You’ve never heard of it? That’s probably because it’s not commonly found on the menu at most Thai restaurants, but it should be!

You’re probably wondering if it’s similar to the Chinese sweet and sour pork that we are used to here in the States. No, it’s not. Unlike the Chinese version, Thai sweet and sour is a stir-fry with pineapple, onion, tomato and cucumber (and any other embellishments you fancy). The sourness comes from pineapple juice with a little vinegar thrown in. There’s no cornstarch in the sauce; it’s thickened by being wok-caramelized. Oh, and it contains a healthy dose of fish sauce.



The version I use is a little different from traditional sweet and sour pork. Instead of the vinegar, I use plum sauce for tartness (an idea I ran across flipping through a Thai cookbook). I also don’t like stir-fried cucumbers, so I replace those with celery, which tastes wonderful when stir-fried.

Thai-style Sweet and Sour Pork
Serves 3 adults

• 12oz pork sirloin or tenderloin, sliced for stir-fry
• ¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 tbs plum sauce
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs fish sauce, more to taste
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• ½ large onion, cut into wedges
• 3 stalks celery, thick- sliced on the diagonal
• 1 large tomato, cut into 8 wedges
• ½ to 2/3 cup 1-inch pineapple pieces (fresh is best but canned is fine)

To make the sauce, combine the pineapple juice, plum sauce, sugar and fish sauce in a small bowl. Mix to dissolve the sugar. Set aside until needed.

In a hot wok over medium-high heat, add about 2 tbs oil. Quickly stir-fry the pork with the garlic until almost done. Remove and keep warm.

Crank up the heat to high and add a little more oil if necessary. Stir-fry the onions and celery for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and pineapple. Stir-fry for an additional minute or two. The celery should be crisp, but not raw. Add the pork back in. Drizzle the sauce down the sides of the wok and mix well. It's done when the pork is cooked through. Serve with steamed rice. I also like a large dollop of Vietnamese chili-garlic sauce or sambal oelek.

Drunken Noodles

Drunken noodles (aka pad kee mao) seemed like all the rage a few years back. Funny thing is the first time I can remember having this dish is at a Thai restaurant. Mom never made it at home. People never believe me when I tell them this. They think that just because I grew up in a Thai household, I’ve eaten every Thai dish ever invented. So not true. But just because I didn’t grow up eating pad kee mao doesn’t mean I don’t love it. It also happens to be Hubby’s favorite rice noodle preparation so I’ve learned to make it.


Normally, I encourage people to make substitutions or change a dish according to their taste, but for this dish, I feel there are a couple essentials that just should not be left out. The first is the Thai basil. Traditionally holy basil is used, but Thai sweet basil will work fine. Both have distinctive flavors that are sometimes interchanged but cannot be replicated with the basil you’d use to make pesto. The second is to use the proper type of soy sauce. Ya’ll know that all soy sauces are not created equal! I found the best combination is black soy sauce (preferably Thai, but Chinese will work okay) and mushroom soy sauce. Other than that, you can play around with the vegetables and meat. I’ve seen bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn and even tomatoes. For the meat, just about anything will do, but my favorites are chicken and pork.

I recommend using Thai black soy sauce but this Chinese version is similar enough. Both use molasses to give a slight sweetness.

Drunken Noodles
Feeds 4 to 6

• 2 tbs black soy sauce
• 4 tbs mushroom soy sauce or light soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh Thai chilies, to taste, cut lengthwise
• 1 cup packed Thai basil leaves (holy basil is best, but Thai sweet will work)
• 2 to 3 chicken breasts, roughly minced (pork, turkey or cubed tofu also okay to use)
• ½ large onion, sliced into wedges
• 1 to 2 cups Chinese long beans, sliced into 2” sticks
• fish sauce, to taste
• 1 package fresh rice noodles (sold in 2- pound packages), strands separated

Start by making the sauce. I always recommend making more than you’ll need. Try doing 1.5x to a double portion just in case you want more flavor. Mix the soy sauces and brown sugar in a bowl until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Set aside until needed.

Before you start stir-frying, make sure you’ve got everything prepared. The noodles may take the longest because separating the strands can be tedious and difficult to separate. It’s a little easier if they are not straight out of the fridge. Keep in mind that every single strand doesn’t have to be separated, but try to the have no more than two strands stuck together.

In a very hot wok over high heat, add about 2 tbs peanut oil or vegetable oil. Add the chilies, garlic and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. Add the onion wedges and long beans and continue to stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the meat and cook until just done. Add a couple squirts of fish sauce and remove everything quickly to a bowl. Set aside until needed.

To the hot wok, add about 1 or 2 tbs more oil, and when it’s hot add most of the basil then the separated noodles on top. Stir-fry until the noodles begin to soften, maybe 3 or 4 minutes. Give the noodles a few seconds between turns to allow them to take on some color. Let’s hope your wok is well seasoned, otherwise you’ll have a big mess of rice noodle stuck and burnt at the bottom. Add back in the meat and veggies and give it a few good stirs to mix. Add in about half to 2/3 of the sauce and stir-fry to mix it well. Taste the noodles and add more sauce as needed. Throw in the remainder of the basil and give it a quick turn, then you’re done. Serve immediately with fish sauce on the side to allow diners to adjust the taste to their liking.

There's Nothing Like a Sunday Family Dinner

Last month, at our Girlfriends Only retreat, one of the Girlfriends threw out the idea for a monthly family dinner. We’d rotate homes and get the kids together to play while the mamas and papas socialize. For those of you who don’t have small children, I’m using the term socialize very loosely. Potlucks can be quite chaotic and stressful. What we’d really be doing is chasing the kids around, trying not to spill our cocktails. Nevertheless, the idea of Second Sunday was born.

Yesterday was our first monthly Second Sunday Family Potluck. We had 5 families in attendance and one Dan Marino (not of the Miami Dolphins fame, but no less fun and charming). Our hostess was Girlfriend L, who has the perfect home for entertaining. Besides being tastefully decorated, it has a TV room where we set up the Wii for the kids and papas. Virtual bowing, tennis, baseball and boxing. At one point, I walked into the room and heard a papa cheer, “Hit him in the stomach!”

[Here’s where I throw out some free advertising: the Wii is a requirement for any gathering where there are kids to entertain, regardless of whether they are aged 4 or 40. As Girlfriend L remarked, “I hardly noticed the kids were here at all!” Thank you, Nintendo.]

The theme this time was Mexican food. Can you guess what I brought? Carnitas, of course. I also brought homemade crema, roasted tomato and chipotle salsa and sugar cookies, which we let the kids decorate.

As if a sugar cookie didn't have enough sugar. It seemed like a great idea until the kids were bouncing off the walls. Click here for the easiest sugar cookie recipe in the world. I mean, even I didn't screw them up.

Normally when I make carnitas during the week, I throw it into my crock pot before work so when I get home, all I have to do is brown it in a skillet. Since I had plenty of time, I did it in the oven, just like this oven-roasted picnic pork shoulder. This time I used a 4.5 pound Boston butt rubbed with 1 head of mashed garlic, fresh thyme, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. When it was done, I just wrapped it in foil and a couple of layers of kitchen towels to let it rest, and it was still warm over an hour later when we arrived at the potluck. To serve, we shredded it into a pre-warmed serving bowl and garnished with cilantro and onions. It was sooooo good.

Tender pork with crunchy brown bits...yummmmm

Girlfriend M brought a delicious chicken chili verde.

If you don’t know what crema is, it’s the Mexican equivalent to crème fraiche or sour cream. Unlike crème fraiche, it’s not really stiff but since it's made with heavy cream, it's still deliciously rich. Obviously it is great on a taco or any other Mexican dish, but I like to use it atop a slice of sweet berry pie to cut some of the sugar. You can buy crema in any well-stocked grocery store, but it’s easy enough to make at home.

Mexican Crema

• 1 pint heavy cream
• ¼ to 1/3 cup buttermilk, depending on the level of sourness you like
• fresh lime juice, to taste depending on the level of sourness (but you probably won’t need more than 1 lime)
• salt, to taste

In a medium to large bowl, stir together the cream and buttermilk. Drape it with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and leave it on the counter overnight. In the morning, it should be thick. Add lime juice and salt to taste. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use. It’s probably good for 3 or 4 days.

Before overnight "incubation" at room temperature.

As Sonny would say: it's magic!

Making homemade salsa is also very easy. I like using fire-roasted tomatoes, and will do it myself when I have access to sweet summertime tomatoes. During the winter, I just use a canned brand like Muir Glenn. Hunt’s makes them now too. Both are fine, and your choice might depend more on organic vs. non-organic (guess which is non-organic?).

Fire-roasted tomato and chipotle salsa

• 1 14oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained (reserve juices)
• ¼ large sweet or purple onion, confetti diced
• half bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
• ½ to 1 chipotle in adobo sauce*, minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 to ¼ tsp sugar to cut sourness of tomatoes (completely optional)

I like to process my tomatoes a little so they aren’t so chunky, but this is up to you. Add the other ingredients and mix well. If you want the salsa to be more juicy, add back some of the reserved juice.



*I hate the thought of wasting a can of chipotles just to use one or two of them. What I do is freeze them. Lay them out on a cookie sheet or plate and stick them into the freezer overnight. This will keep them separate so you can take one or two whenever you need it. When frozen, throw them into a Ziploc freezer bag.

We ended with the cookies the kids decorated and Dan Marino's dulce de leche made from goat's milk. It was so good with wedges of tart Granny Smith apples. (He also made a delicious tomatilla salsa, which I must get the recipe for. Do you hear me Dan Marino?)

The Danish Cousin to the Swedish Meatball

As promised, here’s the recipe for Danish frikadeller, the cousin to Swedish meatballs. Using a food processor, they are insanely easy to throw together. Cooking them takes all of twenty minutes if you do it in the oven. The only real work is weighing out the portions and working with the mixture, which is annoyingly sticky (but makes for a moist meatball).

I promise, your fellow potluckers will love these.

Frikadeller
makes approx. 30 frikadeller (2oz each)

• 3 slices bread, torn into pieces
• ½ cup milk
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 3 pounds ground pork (or mix of pork and veal or turkey)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground allspice

Put the bread in a small bowl with the milk. It will only take a couple of minutes to soak up the milk.

In a food processor, puree the bread, onions, spices and eggs to a uniform mixture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the ground meat(s). Mix well. It’s easiest to use your (clean!) hands, but don’t squeeze the meat. The mixture will be very sticky.

Using a food processor produces a nice batter to mix with the ground meat.

Traditionally pork and veal are used, but here I used pork and turkey. Don't be alarmed if the mixture is very sticky.

This recipe makes a lot of meatballs, and it would take you a long time to fry up. I like to cook mine in the oven on a rimmed, greased cookie sheet. For 2oz meatballs, it takes about 20 minutes in my convection oven at 375º. Don’t be alarmed if a lot of liquid runs out, the finished product will still be moist. Allow them to cool slightly before removing them with a spatula. Don’t serve these piping hot; they taste best warm or at room temperature.

Trust me, you don't want to spend half the day frying these babies up. Baking them is quick and painless.

The traditional way to eat these are with Danish rye bread or potatoes and pickled beets or pickled red cabbage. However, for a more seasonal and festive dish, you can serve them with cranberry chutney or tomato jam.

If you don’t have a potluck to attend, no worries. These bad boys are well suited for freezing. Place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight, then throw them into two layers of Ziploc freezer bags. To reheat, they can go straight from the freezer into a 350º oven. Or you can thaw them in the fridge overnight and fry them in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through.

I prefer reheating them in a skillet because they will form a nice crust (see picture below).

When fried on a skillet, they form nice crusts. Yum.

Still delicious when oven-baked.

Clean-Out-the-Freezer-Challenge Day 6

Today’s freezer item was 1 pound of pork sirloin that I froze back in June. Yes, I know I’m pushing it using meat that has been frozen for 6 months, but if you package it correctly there’s no reason it can’t last that long.

There are two very important things to keep in mind when storing meat in the freezer. The first is to wrap it in usable portions in plastic wrap, making sure to push out all the air. Then it should have a secondary covering such as a Ziploc freezer bag. Make sure to push all the air out of that too. This will prevent freezer burn. The second important thing is to store the package as far away from the door as possible. You don’t want extreme temperature fluctuations to affect the meat, otherwise damaging ice crystals could form. "Damaged" meat will be dry when cooked.

I used one half of the pork to make a saucy pork and kale stir-fry seasoned with fermented yellow beans for Sonny. Normally this type of stir-fry would be eaten atop rice noodles, but steamed rice does just as good a job at soaking up the sauce.


The other half of the pork went to red curry, which is Hubby’s favorite Thai dish. I’ve been a little hesitant to post about red curry because the way I like it is usually not the way it’s served in restaurants. The red curry I grew up eating was not thick and sweet. Of course it does have a hint of sweetness from the coconut milk, but sweetness should not be the predominant flavor. As for the thickness, I think many Thai restaurants serve their curries thick because most Americans would probably be turned off if they saw a layer of oil topping their curry. But that’s the way it looks when it’s properly prepared (and just because you don’t see the oil on top doesn’t mean it’s not there). Of course you could just skim off the oil. As you can see, I didn’t bother. I figured I can eat very healthy for the next 5 days to make up for one not so healthy meal. Everything in moderation, right?

Coconut cream: the key to a delicious red curry.

Thai Red Curry with Pork and Bamboo Shoots
feeds 4 adults

• 19oz can coconut milk (not lite), cream separated from milk
• 1 to 2 tbs red curry paste, depending on desired heat
• 1 to 2 tbs brown sugar, depending on taste
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth (water is fine)
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 to 2 quarter-sized slices fresh galangal (or 1 to 2 pieces of dried galangal)
• fish sauce to taste (about 1 to 2 tbs)
• 8oz can bamboo shoots, rinsed well
• 8oz pork sirloin (chicken, tofu or beef is fine too), sliced

In a heavy bottom pot on medium-low heat, add the coconut cream. It will sputter and pop, so be careful. Stir it occasionally and watch that it doesn’t burn. Turn down the heat if necessary. Cook until the oil separates out and it thickens. This could take about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the curry paste and mix it well to dissolve it in the coconut cream. Cook it with the cream for 2 to 3 minutes. The oil will continue to separate out and the mixture will be quite fragrant. Add the coconut milk, sugar , broth or water, lime leaves, galangal and bamboo shoots. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and season to taste using fish sauce, if needed. This would be a good time to skim the oil, if you care to. Once you get the flavorings to your liking, add the meat. Avoid stirring. Just make sure the meat pieces are separated and can simmer in the liquid. It’s done when the meat is just cooked through. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before serving with steamed jasmine rice.

See how the oil separates out? That's what you want.

Dried galangal can be found at any Thai-Viet grocer.

Before adding the meat or veggies skim the oil, if you like.

Enjoy with a bowl of jasmine rice!

Eat Like a Dane

If I had to guess which country consumes the most paté per capita, I would bet my money on Denmark. Of course, I’ve seen no statistics to back up my speculation (nor do I actually intend to look up this silly fact). My only evidence comes from living there for 2 ½ years. So I know what I know, and I know the Danes love them some paté.

The best recipe I’ve tried for Danish-style liver paté comes from a cookbook called Frøken Jensen’s Kogebog. It’s the Danish version of that Betty Crocker (or was it Better Homes and Gardens??) cookbook so popular a couple of generations ago. There’s not one picture in this entire cookbook. Each page is so dense with text (the recipes are presented one right after another) that I literally have to follow each line with my finger or I’d get lost. And like it’s outdated American counterpart, there are recipes as unappetizing as a savory gelatin mold (is there really such a recipe or is it urban legend??). Yet, I have a warm spot in my heart for Miss Jensen’s book. It reveals an entire culture’s past eating habits. And while many of the recipes are probably outdated, hidden in the dense text are some gems to be found. Recipes like Danish rice porridge, fish cakes, pancakes and the paté (actually 2 different versions).

The Danish paté can be eaten cold or warm. When cold it will spread creamy, but when warm it’s loose. It's also well suited to freezing due to the high fat content. I recommend freezing before you bake. Then when you want to eat it, just put it into the oven frozen. I’d guess you’d need to extend the cooking time by 20+ minutes (depending on the size of the form you use).

Leverpostej (Danish-style pate)

• 10 ½ oz liver (recommended pork or chicken liver)
• 5 ¼ oz pork fat
• ½ large onion, diced
• 3 anchovy filets
• 3 oz butter
• 2 ½ tbs flour
• 10 oz warm milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 to 3 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Start by making a roux with the butter, flour and milk. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour while whisking vigorously. You should get a uniform mixture. Make sure to warm the milk and whisk vigorously while adding it slowly. At first, the mixture will be thin. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until it thickens and bubbles lightly, about 5 minutes. Pour the béchamel into a large bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Put it aside to cool completely.

Cut the pork fat into very small chunks. Do the same with the liver. Throw the liver, fat and onion into a food processor and process until uniform. Stop to scrape down the sides if necessary. There shouldn’t be any large chunks of fat or onion left. Add the eggs and process until incorporated. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the spices. Add the cooled béchamel and mix very well. Pour into a greased loaf pan (I recommend mini loaf pans or small 3 or 4 inch ramekins) and bake in a waterbath at 350ºF until center springs back to the touch. It will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour in mini loaf pans. Alternatively, bake until the internal temp is about 160F. The way I usually tell it’s done is to slightly tip the form. If the liquid is clear, then it’s done, but if the liquid is still pinkish, give it another 5-10 minutes. Don’t worry about overcooking these. There’s so much fat in here, it’s virtually impossible. Besides, the Danes re-heat this all the time and when it cools down it’s still creamy. It can be served cold or warm with Danish rye bread (called European rye bread at your local Trader Joes, or bake your own with this mix from Ikea). I prefer it cold because it spreads nice and creamy. It’s still delicious when served warm, but the texture is looser. Don’t forget the sweet pickles, pickled beets or pickled red cabbage on the side! To make it extra special, the Danes will also dress it up with sautéed mushrooms and crisp bacon.

Grandma's Visit is Worth 2 or 3 Pounds

Mom arrived last Tuesday and commandeered my kitchen. Part of me is a bit annoyed because I can’t find anything and there’s been a constant aroma of Thai food in my home, and I suspect, on my clothing. Oh, and I’ve gained 3 pounds. Truthfully though, most of me is not annoyed because I haven’t eaten this well since I left home in 1993. In six days I’ve eaten red curry, pad Thai, thom kha gai, Issan sausages, fishcakes, fried mackerel, som tom, fried rice, sticky rice with mango, naam prik kapi with various veggies, and chicken satay. Unfortunately, she didn’t want to be photographed in action, and I didn’t photograph most of the food, but I did manage to get the chicken satay. And yes, it tasted as good as it looks.

Chicken Satay

• 3 Asian shallots (or 1 large French shallot), roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 coriander roots roughly chopped
• 1 knob ginger, approximately the size of an adult thumb, sliced
• 1 tbs ground coriander
• 1tbs ground cumin
• 1 tbs madras curry powder (or yellow curry paste)
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 large can coconut milk, cream removed and reserved
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 lbs pork sirloin, tenderloin or chicken, sliced for skewering
• 1 portion peanut sauce (recipe follows)
  

Mom doesn’t own a food processor, so she chops everything small, then pounds the hell out of it in a mortar. I don’t have the patience for that so I use a food processor. Your choice, but honestly, the result will be the same. In a food processor, combine the shallots, garlic, coriander roots and ginger. Pulse until you have a uniform paste. In a large Ziploc bag, combine the paste and other ingredients. Marinate in the fridge overnight. An hour before grilling, thread the meat onto skewers. Pour the marinade over the skewers and a set aside until ready to grill.



Peanut sauce

• 1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped or pulsed in a food processor
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 knob ginger about the size of an adult thumb, crushed or grated
• 1 tsp massaman or yellow curry paste
• chilies, to taste, crushed or sliced
• reserved coconut cream from above + 1 small can coconut milk
• salt or fish sauce (or both) to taste
• 1-2 tbs sugar, to taste

In a wok (preferred) or small sauce pan, add about 1 tbs peanut or vegetable oil. When hot (but not smoking), add the ginger, garlic, chilies and curry paste. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved coconut cream slowly down the sides of the wok. It will spit and spatter, but not too violently. Allow the mixture to cook at medium heat for 5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate out. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Add the peanuts and coconut milk, sugar and salt. Allow to simmer. The oil should continue to separate. Stir frequently to prevent burning. If it looks like this, you’re done.

There’s no doubt this sauce has a lot of oil, mostly due to the coconut milk. If you let the sauce sit for a bit in a bowl, a lot of the oil will rise to the top and you can skim or pour it off.

Fried Rice Revisited

Since I had leftover Chinese sausage, I decided to make fried rice. I’ve previously expounded the virtues of fried rice so I'll spare ya'll another expounding. What I wanted to do was try a recipe using black soy sauce, which I normally avoid because it’s so salty (see this post for the Cliff notes). However, I’ve found it inexplicably enhances the flavor of Chinese sausage, and rice can definitely tolerate a little salt.

Fried rice with Chinese sausage

• 1 large carrot, diced small like confetti
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 scallions, finely sliced
• 1 link Chinese sausage, diced small like confetti
• 6 oz pork sirloin or 1 large breast chicken, coarsely minced
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 3 tbs black soy sauce
• 4 tbs oyster sauce
• 6-8 cups cold cooked rice, broken into small clumps

Combine the black soy sauce and oyster sauce in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

Set a wok over high heat. When hot, add 1-2 tbs vegetable oil and use your spatula to push the oil up the sides. Add the carrots, peas and garlic and quickly stir-fry for a minute or so. Add the diced Chinese sausage, minced meat and sesame oil. Stir-fry until the minced meat is just about done, about 2-3 minutes. Add the crumbled rice and use your spatula to break it up further. Don’t stir the rice constantly; give it a few seconds (about 15-20) to brown before turning it. When most of the clumps are broken up, add about 2/3 of the sauce mix. Continue stir-frying until the rice is uniformly coated with the sauce. You may need to add the remaining sauce. Continue to cook until all the clumps are broken up and the rice is heated through. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions. Enjoy warm with a squirt of Sriracha.

Sometimes You Gotta Make Due

Ever tasted a Chinese sausage? I didn’t like it the first time I tried it. It was sweet, hard and an alarming shade of red-brown. It made Spam look healthy and natural. Now I appreciate the Chinese variety (even though they are about as healthy as Spam...everything in moderation, right?) and use them in different dishes, such as fried rice and hot pot. Here I’ve used Chinese sausage in shu mai with a twist. These dumplings can have a variety of fillings and I've yet to taste one I didn't like.

Shu mai with Chinese sausage filling

• 1 lbs ground pork
• 1 link Chinese sausage, finely chopped
• 3 scallions finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 1 cup peas (optional)
• 1 pack shu mai wrappers (thinner than goyoza wrappers)

Combine the filling for the dumplings. Use about 2 tsp of filling for each wrapper (keep unused wrappers under a damp cloth to prevent drying out). Shu mai, unlike potstickers, are not sealed shut. The filling is exposed at the top. It may take a little practice to get the wrapper to form pleats around the filling and to keep in place. You may find it helpful to use a lightly moist finger to shape the wrapper. Keep finished dumplings under a light damp cloth to keep the wrapper from drying up. To cook the dumplings, steam them in a bamboo steamer lined with lettuce or cabbage leaves for 10 to 12 minutes (or until done). They are ready to enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. If you’ve made more dumplings than you plan to eat, freeze them (before they are cooked) on a cookie sheet then transfer to a plastic bag.

Here’s the twist. I went to my Asian grocer and they were out of shu mai wrappers! Instead of driving out to the burbs to find wrappers, I decided to use the phyllo sheets I had leftover from making a strudel. While the end result was excellent, it took a lot of work because I’m not used to working with phyllo and it dries out so quickly, even when greased up. Cut the phyllo into 3x3 squares and use at least 2 layers to wrap the filling. To cook the dumplings, I put them into a 350º for 20-25 minutes, or until nice and brown. These should be eaten immediately.

Are You as Confused as I Am?

With all the different types of soy sauces out there, do you ever find yourself confused? I certainly am. I grew up using fish sauce and occasionally plain ol’ Kikkoman soy sauce. Now that Asian cuisines have become more widespread in America, there are a ton of different soy sauces on the market. What’s the difference between them? What can be used interchangeably? Here’s a quick run down of what I have in my pantry and what I think are the differences.

Soy sauce usually contains water, wheat, soybeans, salt and a preservative. I use this for everyday cooking and making dipping sauces. I normally use Kikkoman low sodium sauce. When I cook Korean or Japanese food, I use tamari, which is Japanese soy sauce.

Black soy sauce usually has water, soybeans, molasses, wheat, salt and maybe a preservative. I only purchased this sauce because I found a few Chinese recipes that call for it. However, I find it very salty and prefer thick soy sauce.

Thick soy sauce has molasses, soybeans, salt and maybe wheat and a preservative (the brand I use does not). As it’s name implies, it’s very thick and has a very concentrated taste, like salty burnt molasses. It is usually used with regular soy sauce or fish sauce to add more saltiness. I prefer this type of soy sauce to black soy sauce and have been able to use it interchangeably (though not volume for volume). I usually use 1 tsp thick soy sauce in place of 1 tbs black soy sauce (approximately). I keep this sauce in the fridge after opening.

Mushroom soy sauce normally contains water, soy beans, mushrooms, salt, sugar, wheat and maybe a preservative. I’ve only recently started using this kind of soy sauce and I really like it. It’s not as salty as regular soy sauce and it’s got a mellow flavor (although, I would have never guessed it has mushrooms). I use it interchangeably with regular soy sauce in noodle dishes and fried rice.

Fish sauce is not a soy sauce, but it’s salty. I grew up on this stuff and it’s a staple of Thai cooking. It’s made from anchovy or shrimp extract and usually contains salt and sugar. It can be quite pungent if it spills and it’s definitely noticeable when used in stir-fries, but I wouldn’t say it’s fishy (as anchovies are not fishy when cooked). Because it has a distinctive flavor, I don't recommend substituting soy sauce in it's place.

Oyster (flavored) sauce doesn’t contain soy. I don’t think it contains oyster either (my coworker, who is allergic to fish, uses this stuff). It does contain water, sugar, salt, wheat, and coloring. Of course you can get real oyster sauce, but you’ll have to seek it out. The stuff you get in most supermarkets is the flavored sauce. It is not really salty like soy sauce (relatively speaking) and needs to be used with soy or fish sauce. If you normally just stir-fry with soy sauce, I highly recommend adding a tablespoon or two of this stuff. I guarantee you will taste a difference. Keep this sauce in the fridge after opening.

Like I said, these are the sauces I have in my pantry. There are a ton of other sauces from other Asian countries I don’t even know about. If you have a favorite salty sauce, let us know. In the meantime, here’s a recipe using thick soy sauce. The flavors are reminiscent of Pad Kee Mao or Pad Ka-Pao.

Spicy Pork Stir-fry using Thick Soy Sauce

• 2 tsp thick soy sauce
• 1 tbs oyster flavored sauce
• 1 ½ tbs fish sauce
• 1 ½ tbs lime juice
• 1 tbs sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• handful basil leaves (holy basil is preferable; make sure the leaves are dry)
• 1-2 hot chili pepper (or to taste), quartered lengthwise
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1 ½ inch segments
• 10 to 12 oz minced pork*

Start by making the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the thick soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

In a wok over high heat, add about 2 tbs oil. When it’s smoking hot, add the basil leaves, chili pepper and garlic. Stir-fry quickly for about 15 seconds, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the green pepper, onion and green beans. Continue stir-frying for 2-3 minutes. The veggies should still be crisp. Add the minced pork. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes more or until the pork is just done. Add the sauce mix by drizzling it down the sides of the wok. Hopefully your wok is sufficiently hot to caramelize and thicken the sauce a little. Turn to coat the food and heat through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

This stir-fry is also great to do with noodles. Scale up the amount of sauce by 3 or 4 to make sure there is enough to coat the noodles. I recommend using about ½ lbs of fresh rice noodles (wide variety). You need only separate the layers. If they come in a slab, slice them into ½ inch slices before separating. If you don’t have access to the fresh variety, the dried kind is fine. Soak in warm water until pliable (not soft, otherwise you’ll get a mushy mess when you stir-fry them).

*I recommend mincing your own pork. I find that store bought minced pork is too wet and will release too much water during cooking, even if your wok is blazing hot. To mince your own, use the specified about of pork sirloin and a sharp knife. No need for a fine mince, coarse is fine. Chicken can also be used instead of pork.

They're Called Postickers, Man

Potstickers, goyoza (gyoza), pan-fried dumplings…whatever you want to call them, I love them all. I just don’t love making them. The filling is easy enough to throw together, but wrapping is sooo tedious. The one good thing is I can make a gazillion in one sitting and freeze them.

Spinach and Pork Potstickers

• ½ bunch fresh spinach, cleaned and finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ to 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pack goyoza wrappers
• 1 scrambled egg for egg wash

Mix all the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon about 2 tsp filling into each wrapper, brush the edges with egg wash, and fold into half moons (or triangles if you have square wrappers).

There’s a few different ways to cook these bad boys. Do it any way you like. Here’s how I do it. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the goyoza and boil them for about 3- 4 minutes. Drain and toss them IMMEDIATELY with a little oil. At this point, you can freeze the ones you aren’t planning on eating. Put them in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer. When frozen, they can be thrown into a Ziplock bag. Oh, and take care not to drop them all over the dusty basement floor as you pull them out of the freezer.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin layer of oil and then the goyoza. Fry until a crust forms on each side. Serve with soy dipping sauce or sweet chili dipping sauce.

Soy Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbs packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp sambal oelek (optional)
• 2 tbs toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tsp sambal oelek

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, water and rice vinegar to a boil. Reduce the heat a little and simmer for about 5 minutes or until it starts to get a little thick. Turn off the heat, add the fish sauce and sambal oelek. Cool to room temperature before serving.

I'm Day Dreaming about Sausage

I’ve been craving a certain type of Thai sausage that’s spicy and sour. I’ve never seen it on a menu here in the States, but it should be. Fortunately, there is a Thai woman my mother knows who can make these incredible sausages. Unfortunately, it’ll be 10 more days before I visit home and get my sausages.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to try my hand at sausage making. I’ve never used casings, and quite frankly, I’m a little intimidated by them. So I did a steamed sausage wrapped in foil. Easy and no mess!

Homemade Thai-inspired Sausage

• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbs fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 pound ground chicken or pork (I used a mixture of the two)

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients well. Split the mixture in 2 or 4, depending on the size of the sausages you want.

Lightly oil pieces of aluminum foil for rolling. To get the best shaped sausage use a flexible cutting board (or similar) to help you roll. It reminds me of rolling sushi. When you’re finished rolling, twist the ends shut. Place the sausages, seam side up, in a steamer set above boiling water. Steam for 15-20 minutes (if you don’t have a steamer that can fit the sausages, throw them into 375º for about 20 minutes). At this point, the sausage is done and can be served (let it sit for 5-10 minutes before opening and slicing). However, I like to pan fry them to give them a crispy outside.

Serve as an appetizer with dipping sauce* and lettuce leaves to wrap. Also makes a nice entrée with steamed white rice and your choice of veggie.

*My standard dipping sauce is 1 tbs fish sauce, 3 tbs rice vinegar, ½ tbs sugar and sambal oelek to taste.