Twice Cooked Pork with Take Away Chinese Packets

I ordered Chinese food on Sunday and was surprised how many of those packets of sauces they gave me. There were easily 12 packets of soy sauce, 8 of sweet and sour (why they call it that I don’t know) and 3 of mustard.

This turned out to be a pretty good recipe…

So I decided to try using them in a way not normally used. Let’s make a marinade with the take away packets and a few center cut pork chops I have in the refrigerator, already thawed.  The only other ingredients I had, at the time, was fresh ginger, garlic, mushrooms and a small onion.

I keep the take away packets from Chinese restaurant delivery in a drawer, just in case I need them.

Reading what I just typed makes me realize how stupid that sounds. It’s not like they won’t give me another 50 packets, the next time I order take away Chinese food.

Ingredients:

•  3 center cut pork chops, cubed 1 ½ inch pieces
• ½ small onion, sliced
• 6 large mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 2 thumb sized pieces of ginger, sliced match sticks
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 packets soy sauce
• 6 packets sweet & source
• 4 packets mustard
• 2 packets Mc Donald’s honey
• 1 ¼ cups of water
• 1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning
• 1 teaspoon White pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preparation:

Place the pork pieces and the soy, sweet & sour, mustard and honey into a plastic sealable bag. Marinate for at least 6 hours (best if overnight).

Remove and strain the pork pieces over your sink in a colander or strainer. Don’t rinse the pieces; allow some of the marinade to remain on the pieces.

In a skillet or pan large enough to cook the pork piece heat over medium high, 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil and the sesame oil. Quickly sear the pork pieces on all sides. Pour 1 cup of water into the pan and bring up to almost a boil. Turn it down to low immediately, cover and allow the pork to braise for 60 minutes.

While pork is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Clean the mushrooms slice the onions and ginger and chop the garlic.

When pork has finished braising for 60 minutes remove and allow the liquid to evaporate, so the pork is left to sauté in the remaining oil to brown.

Add the the onions, ginger pieces and the mushrooms to the pan. Season the veggies with Lawry’s and white pepper, cook until softened about 4-5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for a few minutes more.

To finish, mix the cornstarch with one ¼ cup of water, addingt the Sriracha pour into the pan to deglaze.

Blend and cook together for 1 -2 minutes until sauce thickens. Serve hot over Jasmine rice.

Vietnamese Short Rib Baguette Sandwich

If you’ve always wanted to have a Bahn Mi sandwich, but never had the chance.  Here is a recipe for making a pretty decent version, if I don’t mind saying so.  This is my interpretation, of the Short Rib Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich. “Bánh mì ngắn xương sườn”

First step is to braise the Short Ribs. That will take the longest; meanwhile you can make the Asian Barbeque Sauce and the Pickled Vegetables.

Home Made Baguettes

Ingredients:

• 2 envelopes dry active yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Canola oil, for greasing bowl
• Cornmeal, for dusting pan
• 3 to 4 ice cubes

Preparation:

Combine the honey, yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir to combine and let the mixture stand until the yeast is activated and begins to foam, 5 minutes.

Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl with a dough hook and slowly add in the yeast mixture. Gradually add 1 cup warm water and mix until the dough comes together into a ball that is not too wet (you may not need all of the water). If the dough is sticky, add a little bit more flour. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 2 to 6 minutes. You can do the thumbprint test: press in the dough with your thumb and it should bounce back when it’s ready.

Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a dishcloth, so it doesn’t dry out. Let rest in a warm environment until doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes.

Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape into 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of your dough, then folding the top and bottom towards the middle, like an envelope, and sealing the seam with your fingers. Keep repeating the folding and sealing, stretching the rectangle lengthwise as you go, until it’s about 12 to 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. Fold and seal either end to round. Flip seam-side down and place on a sheet pan or baguette pan that has been dusted with cornmeal. Score the tops of the loaves, making deep diagonal slits 1/2-inch deep, cover with a dishcloth and let rise in a warm environment until they have doubled in size, 25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and position your oven racks with one on the bottom and the other in the middle. Place an oven-safe (non-glass) bowl or pan on the bottom rack.

When your bread has doubled for the second time, remove the towel and quickly and simultaneously, slide the sheet tray with the baguettes onto the middle rack while carefully throwing the ice cubes into the bowl on the bottom rack. The ice will create a burst of steam that will give you a nice crispy crust. Quickly shut the oven door so no steam escapes. Bake the baguettes until golden brown, 15 minutes.

Cook’s Note: If you have a glass window on your oven, place a towel over it when throwing the ice in, hot glass can shatter if ice touches it

Braising the Short Ribs

Ingredients:

• 6 pounds short ribs
• 10 onions, quartered
• ½ cup peanut oil
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoons Five Spice
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Serrano peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons black pepper corns, crushed
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• Salt
• Water

Preparation:

Season the short ribs with peanut oil, five spice, brown sugar and salt. Grill the short ribs until they are charred on both sides, but not cooked through. Set aside until cool to the touch.

Preheat the broiler. On a deep and lined roasting pan, spread out the onions, carrots and garlic and coat with oil. Brown the vegetables on all sides. Turn the oven down to 350° F.  Place the short ribs over the roasted vegetables. Fill the pan with enough water to braise, from ½ to ¾ full depending on the size.  Cover tightly with foil and braise for a minimum of 3 hours. Check half way to make sure water level is OK.

Remove from the oven and let them cool to the touch. Once cooled, remove the bone and wrap the meat in plastic tightly to form a block, and then place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Remove from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Then carefully trim away the connective tissue that was holding the bone. Thinly slice portions of about 3 ounces each.

Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons mint, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded daikon radish

Preparation:

In a non-reactive soup pot add the vinegar, sugar, mint and cilantro. Cook over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. In a glass bowl, pour the liquid over the shredded vegetables.  Allow to marinade for at least 1 hour.

Build The Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 3 oz short rib
• 2 oz pickled vegetables
• ½ jalapeño pepper, sliced thin
• ½ oz cilantro sprigs
• 1 ½ oz Asian Barbeque Sauce
• ½  Baguette, sliced open
• ½ tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
• ½ tablespoon mayonnaise
• Bread and butter spears sliced in half

Preparation:

While toasting the baguette inside and out, take the 3 oz. portion of short rib meat and pan fry it in a little oil.  Baste both sides with the Asian Barbeque Sauce. After the rolls are toasted, spread equal amounts of the Sriracha and mayonnaise on the inside of the roll. Place the meat, pickled vegetables, bread and butter spears with a few sprigs of cilantro.

Bring sandwich to mouth and enjoy!

Spicy Baked Sriracha Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

•  24 Chicken Wing Segments
• 1/4 cup Sriracha Sauce
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp Tamari Sauce
• 1 tbsp Sake or dry sherry
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp Lawry’s Seasoning
• Spray oil (PAM)

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients (excluding wings) together in a bowl. Toss chicken into the bowl and mix well. Pour the chicken wings and marinade into a 1 gallon Zip-Lock plastic bag.  Marinate for 48 hours minimum. Remember to flip the bag every now and then.  (I actually marinated for 4 days)

Preheat oven to 425⁰.   Line a backing sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.  Lay out chicken 4 to a row and 6 deep, leaving spaces between pieces.  Pour the residual marinade over the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes and turn off oven, leaving the chicken in the oven for an additional 20 minutes.

Surimi (Imitation Crab Meat) Mock Sushi Bowl

Course: main meals

PointsPlus™ Value:    6
Servings:  1

Preparation Time:  15 min
Cooking Time:  0 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Not much cooking involved. Easypeasy. Not sure why it’s 6 points., but it’s healthy.

I know it’s not real sushi, nor in a bowl, but hey… whatever.

Ingredients:

•  2 cups cabbage, finely sliced  
•  1 small carrot, diced very small (or two baby carrots)
• 1 tsp onion, grated
• 1 tsp carrot, grated
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp fresh garlic, grated
• 1 tsp Sriracha (more if you like it hot)
• 1 mushroom cap, sliced thin
• 1/4 medium English cucumber, diced very small
• 1 tbsp sweet pepper diced.  (about 1/8 of a small red pepper)
• 2 oz imitation crab, sliced thin or shredded  
• 1 Tbsp Pickled Sliced Ginger, minced (Gari)
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar  
• 1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil  
• 1 tsp sesame seeds  
• 1 scallion, sliced thinly (diagonal)  
• 1 tsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise  
• 1 tsp wasabi, prepared
• 6 snow peas, sliced thin  
• 2 tsp tamari sauce   

Instructions:

To begin the dressing, in a small bowl mix the rice vinegar with grated onion, garlic, carrot and ginger.  Let that sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Slice the cabbage as thin as possible (you can option to dice it). Next prep the veggies by dicing, as small as possible, the carrot, cucumber and red pepper. Julienne the snow pea pods. Quarter and slice the mushroom (you can use any mushroom you want). Put those veggies in a bowl and mix them together.  Next slice the scallion on the diagonal into small pieces, put aside. Chop, slice or shred the Surimi (imitation crab).

To build the salad, plate the cabbage on the bottom, add crab and diced veggies and spread evenly over the cabbage.

In the same bowl you have the rice vinegar and grated veggies; add the wasabi, tamari and sesame oil, Sriracha and mayo. Mix the dressing to incorporate those ingredients. Mince the pickled ginger and add to finish the dressing.

Pour dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly. Finish off with the sesame seeds and scallions over the top.

Spicy Deep Fried Chicken Lollipops

These aren’t the easiest things to make, but are well worth the effort.

The most important thing that you can do for making the perfect wing lollipops is to marinate them in seasoned butter milk.

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds chicken wings divide and French
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup Sriracha Chile sauce
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups Crisco (or other vegetable shortening)
• 11 ½ Secret Herbs and Spices
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

11 ½ Secret Herbs and Spices:

• 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Ground Sage
• 1 tsp Paprika (sweet if possible)

Preparation:

How to french the wings: Cut and discard the chicken wing tips, halve the wings at the joint. Working with the smaller joint, remove and discard the thinner bone then scrape meat down the remaining bone making a lollipop; scrape meat down drumstick bone also and pull the meat over the joint

Mix buttermilk, Sriracha and 3 tbsp of 11 ½ secret herbs and spices (optional, add one tbsp cayenne pepper) in a container large enough to hold the lollipops. Cover or place in large zip locks bags and marinate overnight, or at least for 4 hours. Mix the batch every few hours or rotate the bag. 

Season flour with 3 tbsp of the 11 ½ secret herbs and spices, reserving the remaining, approximately 2 tbsp, for seasoning the chicken after it’s fried. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Dredge in seasoned flour, transfer to a wire rack. Let the lollipops rest in refrigerator for about 10 minutes until coating is set. Prepare deep fryer or cast iron frying pan to 365°.

Fry wings in small batches until thoroughly done and golden brown, about 8-12 minutes. Lightly sprinkle wings with 11 ½ secret herbs and spices immediately after removing from hot oil.

Drain on paper towels. Do this in batches. For super crispy lollipops, transfer to a wire rack and bake in a preheated 350°, until very crispy, about 10 minutes.