Char Siu - BBQ Pork

Take a stroll through any Chinatown in the world and you’re bound to see restaurants with strips of red char siu hanging from hooks in the windows. Char siu literally means “fork burned” which is a reference to the traditional preparation, skewered and barbecued over a fire. While you may not have had a chance to try it over rice or in noodle soup, you’ve probably had it chopped up in pork buns (char siu bao) at one point or other.At its best, char siu is moist and flavorful on the inside and caramelized and slightly chewy on the outside, with a sweet aroma redolent of five-spice and garlic. Unfortunately, at many establishments (in the NY Chinatown), it’s overly sweet, grisly, artificially colored meat that’s been hanging under a heatlamp for hours.Char siu is great on top of some rice with the remaining marinade boiled down into a sauce. It’s also fantastic on top of noodle soups and in fried rice. If you feel daring, you can chop it up and make your own char siu bau (pork buns). What’s your favorite way to eat char siu?

Yield:

Serves 6-10

Ingredients

1. 4 strips of pork belly (about 1″ wide)
2. .
3. For the Marinade:
4. =================
5. 1 tsp 5 spice powder
6. 2 Tbs shaoxing cooking wine (or sherry)
7. 2 Tbs maltose (or honey)
8. 1 Tbs hoisin sauce
9. 1 Tbs thai chili sauce
10. 1 Tbs Chinese dark soy sauce
11. 2 Tsp oyster sauce
12. 2 cloves garlic pressed

Directions

1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade together in a tupperware, ziploc bag, or other container that’s just big enough to hold the pork. The maltose is a little tough to incorporate but it’s okay if there are some lumps as these will eventually dissolve, just make sure there are no big clumps.
2. If your pork belly has skin, use a sharp knife to remove it. Add the pork and skins to the marinade and make sure everything is covered in marinade. Let it sit in the fridge for 2 days, shaking things up a couple times in between.
3. When the pork is ready, preheat the oven to 275 and move the rack to the upper middle position. Set an elevated wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and lay the pieces of pork on the rack. Put the pan in the oven and let it roast for 1 hour. Remove it from the oven then flip, the pieces of pork and baste generously with the marinade.
4. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip, then baste again with the marinade. Return it to the oven for another 30 minutes or until most (but not all) of the fat has rendered out.

Notes

For the pork belly, try to get pork belly that’s leaner that what you’d get for braising. Ideally you’ll have thick layers of very marbled meat with thin strips of fat in between. You could also use pork shoulder, but I prefer pork belly for the extra fat content. Whatever you do, please don’t make this a pork loin (you’ll end up with pork jerky).Shaoxing is a dark brown cooking wine you can pick up in most asian groceries, but if you can’t find it, sherry makes a pretty good substitute.I’ll admit that Thai chili sauce isn’t exactly authentic, but I like the mild sweet garlicky heat it provides.Chinese dark soy sauce is actually a key component (I used Pearl River Bridge brand). It is much darker than the more common Japanese dark soy sauce and is more viscous. I’m fairly certain that this is were the red color comes from, so it’s probably not a good idea to substitute in something else if you can find it.Maltose is a malt sugar that’s made from barley. It is extremely viscous and sticky with a smooth texture like very cold honey. It’s not as sweet as honey, but because of its viscosity it helps make the marinade stick to the pork and imparts a malty flavour. You can usually find it in asian groceries, and I love just sticking a clean chopstick into the jar, twirling it around until I have a little lollipop of maltose and sucking on it.

Siew Yuk - Chinese Roast Pork

Whenever I go to Chinatown to pick something up, I almost always have to stop at a place to pick up some crisp skinned roast pork. This is often confused with the more well known bbq pork (char siew), which has the telltale red exterior from the sweet bbq glaze.Both are good, but when faced with a choice, my vote goes to the simple roast pork if for no other reason than the crispy cracklin’ skin. Because it’s roasted at a low temperature for hours, the meat is basted with the rendered fat and the tougher connective tissue breaks down into soft gelatin making the meat even more moist.

Yield:

Serves 10

Ingredients

1. 1 skin-on pork shoulder or picnic roast
2. 3 cloves grated garlic
3. 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
4. 1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper
5. 2 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
6. 1 tsp kosher salt
7. 2 tsp oil

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Wash and dry your roast thoroughly. Score the skin about 1″ apart.
3. Mash all the other ingredients together to make a paste. Smear the paste all over the roast working it into the skin and meat. Put the roast in a pan that will let the fat drain through (a wire rack over a baking sheet will do in a pinch), and stick it in the over for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, the skin should just be turning brown (if it’s getting too dark, turn down the heat sooner). Reduce the heat to 250 degrees F and let it roast for about 8 hours (for a 2-3 lbs roast). You’ll know it’s ready when most of the fat has rendered out and the meat has started pulling away from the bone.
5. When it’s ready, take it out of the oven, transfer it to a different pan (you could do it in the same pan, but the fat that’s collected in this pan will smoke and set your smoke alarms off). Put it back into a 450 degree F oven to crisp the skin for 15-20 minutes. The skin should be puffed up, crisp and golden brown.
6. Take it out of the oven and let it rest of a bit. You’ll probably want to take the skin off and break it up by hand, slicing the slabs of tender pork seperately. I make a dipping sauce out of scallions, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and salt to dip the meat in and have it over rice. One other thing… the skin doesn’t stay crisp in the fridge, so enjoy it all the night you make it.

Notes

White-Cut Chicken

It’s traditional to serve a whole chicken, including the head and feet, for Chinese New Year. The white meat symbolizes purity, and serving the entire bird represents unity. Plunging the chicken into ice water after poaching ensures that the meat is perfectly juicy and tender. A very simple but powerful dipping sauce tops it off. Use only a tiny amount — it’s quite strong.

Yield:

Serves8 (As Part Of A Chinese Meal)

Ingredients

1. For the Chicken:
2. ================
3. 1 (3- to 3 1/2-lb) whole chicken (with head and feet if desired), neck (if without head) and giblets reserved for another use if desired
4. 1 bunch scallions, halved crosswise
5. 2 oz Smithfield or other cured ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating
6. 6 (1/4-inch-thick) round slices peeled fresh ginger
7. 14 cups water
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
10. 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
11. .
12. For the Dipping Sauce:
13. ================
14. 1 bunch scallions (white and pale green parts only), cut into very thin 2-inch strips
15. 3 tablespoons light soy sauce (preferably Pearl River Bridge brand)
16. 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
17. 1 tablespoon finely grated (with a rasp) peeled fresh ginger

Directions

1. MAKE CHICKEN:
2. Rinse chicken inside and out, then bend legs to tuck feet (if still attached) inside cavity. Stuff cavity with scallions, ham, and ginger.
3. Bring water with salt to a boil in a deep 7- to 8-quart stockpot or pasta pot. Add chicken, breast side down (chicken may not be completely covered with liquid), then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and let stand, covered, 15 minutes more (chicken will be cooked through).
5. While chicken stands, fill a large bowl three-fourths full with ice and cold water. Carefully remove chicken from pot with a large slotted spoon and plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Let stand, gently turning over once (be careful not to tear skin), until cool, about 10 minutes total. Carefully transfer to a cutting board and discard scallions, ham, and ginger from cavity. Pat dry. Rub skin with sesame oil.
6. MAKE DIPPING SAUCE:
7. Stir together scallions and soy sauce in a small heatproof bowl.
8. Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly. Pour oil around side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl oil, coating sides. When oil just begins to smoke, carefully add ginger (oil will spatter) and stir-fry 30 seconds. Immediately remove from heat and pour over scallion mixture, stirring to combine (scallions will wilt).
9. To cut and serve chicken on a platter (Chinese restaurant?style), cut off the head and neck (if attached) with a cleaver and put at one end of a large platter. (These parts, along with the back and feet, aren't always eaten.) Cut off the feet. Cut off the drumsticks and thighs, then cut crosswise through the boneinto 1-inch pieces. Place the feet and leg meat at the other end of the platter. Cut off the wings, separating them at the joints, and put on the sides of the platter. Cut through the ribs, separating breast from back, then cut the backbone crosswise into 3 pieces and put them in the center of the platter. (Striking the cleaver with a rubber mallet makes the cuts clean.) Cut the breast crosswise through the bone into 1-inch pieces and arrange on the back. Alternatively, cut chicken according to procedure and mound pieces in a bowl.
10. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dipping sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature, with remaining dipping sauce on the side.

Notes

Chicken can be cooked and rubbed with sesame oil (but not cut) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.Chicken can be cut up and arranged on platter 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving. Drizzle with dipping sauce just before serving.Dipping sauce can be made 4 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

Six-Spice Hanger Steak

During a research trip to Hong Kong, food editor Ian Knauer discovered that every family has its own recipe for five-spice powder, a pivotal ingredient in so many Chinese dishes. He took things a step further by adding black peppercorns to the aromatic mix, which holds its own against the robust flavor of hanger steak. As for side dishes, this would be delicious with steamed rice and stir-fried bok choy, but your menu doesn’t have to be Asian—try it with a brightly dressed green salad and roasted potatoes.

Yield:

Serves 4 To 6

Ingredients

1. For the Steak:
2. =================
3. 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
4. 10 black peppercorns
5. 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
6. 1 teaspoon anise seeds
7. 1 (2-inch) piece cinnamon stick
8. 4 cloves
9. 2 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
10. 1 hanger steak (about 2 lb and 1 1/2 inches thick), center gristle removed
11. .
12. For the sauce:
13. =================
14. 1/4 cup soy sauce
15. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (not seasoned)
16. 1 tablespoon water
17. 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
18. 2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
19. 1 teaspoon minced shallot
20. 1 small garlic clove, minced
21. 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Directions

1. MAKE STEAK:
2. Preheat broiler and lightly oil rack of broiler pan.
3. Finely grind spices with brown sugar and 1 1/2 tsp salt in grinder.
4. Pat steak dry, then sprinkle evenly with spice mixture and rub into meat. Broil steak 2 to 3 inches from heat, turning once, 7 to 12 minutes for medium-rare. Let steak rest on a plate at least 10 minutes.
5. MAKE SAUCE WHILE STEAK RESTS:
6. Heat sauce ingredients, except cilantro, with meat juices from plate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until warm. Stir in cilantro before serving.

Notes

Ginger Scallion Egg-Drop Soup

It’s only natural to use leftover chicken broth (from Blade Steaks with Rosemary White-Bean Purée) to make chicken soup. But what a soup! Steeping ginger and scallion greens in the stock and then poaching the chicken in it is a quick way to achieve a depth of flavor. The final soup is enriched with silky ribbons of just-cooked eggs, shreds of tender chicken, and fresh rings of scallion. Best of all, this satisfying soup is easy enough to pull together after work.

Yield:

Serves 2 (Light Main Course) Or 4 (First Course)

Ingredients

1. 6 scallions, divided
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4. 1 (2-inch) piece peeled ginger, sliced
5. 1 skinless boneless chicken breast half (6 to 8 oz)
6. 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
7. 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Smash 3 scallions and cut into 2-inch pieces, then put in a 2-qt saucepan with water, broth, ginger, and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, then poach chicken at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let broth steep, covered, 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop remaining 3 scallions and shred chicken.
3. Discard scallions and ginger from broth and bring to a brisk simmer. Add beaten eggs in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in scallions, chicken, and white pepper (if using). Serve drizzled with sesame oil.

Notes